Great Northern Development Wins Impact Awards From Organization

The Great Northern Development Corp., headquartered in Wolf Point, recently came away with two prestigious awards from the Montana Economic Developers Association held in Havre.

The first Impact Award won was for the success of the 2024 Minnow Tank Competition. The program has empowered local entrepreneurs by proving hands-on business plan training, expert mentorship and a chance to compete for funding to launch or grow their businesses. Since the start of the Minnow Tank Competition, more than $30,000 has been invested into the local economy, directly supporting startups and expansions.

Officials say that seven of the 12 competitors in the recent competition moved forward with their projects.

Great Northern officials said, “We saw fantastic representation with entries from nearly every county in our region. Even more exciting, all eight of our Minnow Tank winners during the past six years are not only still thriving, but have seen tremendous growth!”

Officials expressed appreciation to the businesses and organization who sponsored the Minnow Tank Competition.

The second Impact Award dealt with the expansion of Farmer’s Union Oil Company’s fertilizer plant in Circle, a $3.39 million project that is creating jobs and supporting area farmers.

The Montana Economic Developers Association is comprised of more than 150 economic development practitioners from across the state working to advance development through business creation, expansion, and retention, as well as diversification of our state’s economic base.