Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney and Commerce Director Pam Haxby-Cote Thursday joined the Small Business Administration (SBA), southeastern Montana economic development organizations, and higher education communities to celebrate the grand opening of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Miles Community College (MCC).

The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program at the Montana Department of Commerce is partnering with Miles Community College to host a new SBDC location to grow economic development in Southeastern Montana.

As a business owner myself, I know firsthand Montana is a great place for entrepreneurs. Like many small businesses, our restaurant in Butte is family owned and operated. When my husband was laid up after surgery, my daughter stepped in to keep the place running. We pride ourselves on not only running a business, but building a community, too. I know we’re not alone in this, as business owners in every corner of the state play big role in building our communities.

Governor Steve Bullock Wednesday joined Montana small businesses to celebrate their successes and spearhead the first-ever national Small Business Development Centers Day.

Missoula-based TOMIS won $5,000 to start their dream business at the Shark Tank live pitch business plan competition Tuesday in Helena. TOMIS, and two other Montana entrepreneurs, Cowboy Cricket Farms of Belgrade, and Easy Lift of Great Falls were selected by Montana Small Business Development Center “shark tank” judges to pitch their business ideas at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation in front of an audience of nearly 400.