Copyright Kalispell Inter Lake
The Flathead Valley has the potential to become a global manufacturing hub, business officials said Tuesday at a Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “We do have an incredible opportunity in front of us,” said Clay Binford, chief of people and development at Nomad GCS, which sponsored the Oct. 21 luncheon at Flathead Valley Community College. “Imagine the Flathead Valley being not known just for its beauty … but for breakthrough, innovative products that we already build here in the Flathead Valley and will continue to build." Manufacturing already plays a vital role in the local economy, encompassing 28% of Flathead County’s basic industry earnings, according to the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The wood products industry is the largest piece of the valley’s manufacturing base, but the sector includes manufacturers creating computer equipment, machined products, medical devices, energy and pharmaceuticals. Each October, the chamber celebrates manufacturers with a host of informational sessions and tours. “It’s also important to note that manufacturing, especially for us, isn’t old school anymore,” Binford said. “It’s no longer dirty steel mills and monotonous assembly line work. Manufacturing is all about evolving with the times, it's the intersection of technology, skills, trade and innovation.” The luncheon featured a panel with three local manufacturing business owners in an effort to connect with — and inspire — entrepreneurs. Amber Pacheco-Holm is co-owner and co-founder of Fiber Reaper, which manufactures a patented fiber optic splicing clamp used for telecommunications. She and her husband launched the company five years ago, operating out of their home. Launching her business was all about connections, Pacheco-Holm said, thanking the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center and Export Montana for helping her develop a business plan, win grants and file for international patents. “I have been an advocate for all the programs here,” she said. “This is a great place to do business. The resources are available and there are so many people in that existing ecosystem of getting started and bringing a product to market.” The company is currently focused on expanding business internationally, she said. Fiber Reaper still operates out of Pacheco-Holm's house. Other business owners and manufacturers, though grateful to be based in the valley, said that it is expensive to scale manufacturing facilities to their needs. Tim Anderson, owner of tactical and hunting gear manufacturer Invader Concepts, moved his business to the Flathead Valley two years ago. Finding a location was a challenge, Anderson said, although it seems like there is more construction and opportunity today. It takes a while to get a manufacturing business rolling, Anderson said. But if someone has the grit to do it, they should take the chance, he said. It’s harder than anyone thinks, he said, but being stubborn is a business owner’s greatest asset. “It’s a matter of marketing and getting your name out there,” he said. To create a manufacturing hub in the Flathead Valley, more businesses and organizations need to work on getting grants to fund facilities, Anderson said. Terri Chichester, president and owner of Montana Global Health, a dietary supplement contract manufacturer, has worked in the manufacturing sector for decades. She bought and opened Montana Global Health in 2019. Chichester emphasized the importance of the workforce. She employs 30 people, ranging from ages 35 to 71. As she grows, she will eventually need more room, echoing Anderson’s sentiment about creating facilities here. Discussing challenges, Chichester touched on tariffs. A lot of the minerals used in the supplements come from China, she said. President Donald Trump has hit the Asian nation with 57% import tariffs and threatened to raise it to 157% after Chinese officials restricted exports of rare-earth minerals. There are tentative plans for Trump to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss trade in the coming weeks. Back in Kalispell, each panelist reiterated the importance of working with one another to better the manufacturing community as a whole. “The people are great in this community, use them,” Chichester said.
