Gov. Gianforte Visits Northeast Montana Entrepreneurs Helping Drive State's Strong Economy

Sidney, MT - Visiting Sheridan, Roosevelt, and Richland counties, Governor Greg Gianforte met with apprentices, employees, and business owners helping drive Montana's economic growth and strengthen their communities.

"From Polaris to Plentywood, and Ekalaka to Eureka, hardworking Montanans are driving our state's strong economy," Gov. Gianforte said. "Not only are the businesses I visited today supporting Montanans with good-paying jobs, but they're also part of the fabric of their tight-knit communities. That's part of what makes Montana so special."  

Starting the day in Sheridan County, Gov. Gianforte met with apprentices at and toured C&B Operations, an agriculture equipment dealership in Plentywood. C&B Operations has offered apprenticeship opportunities for the last two years, helping strengthen the workforce in Sheridan County.  

"These apprentices come on board with us for two years, and they come out a skilled technician," store manager DJ Dixon said. "They're getting real life experience while they're doing the apprentice program."  

Traveling to Roosevelt County next, the governor met with the owner of a local grocery store in Froid to hear how her small business found a way to serve more local customers and expand operations during the pandemic. 

At the store, the governor also took questions from residents and met with local leaders and Montana Business Professionals of America (BPA) members from Froid High School.

In the afternoon, Gov. Gianforte toured the AllCheck Medical Clinic, Sidney. Since its opening last July, the clinic has increased access to health care in rural Montana. AllCheck Medical Clinic serves Richland County with child well-check visits, minor surgical procedures, management of chronic illnesses, and employment physical exams. 

The governor then visited MiMi's Kitchen. After a fire destroyed her business in October 2020, owner Billie Jo Hillesland rebuilt her business into a local eatery, retail storefront, and center offering cooking classes.    

"Mimi's Kitchen was a dream of our entire family. When the fire happened Oct. 29, 2020, it was tough to fathom losing it all. But the Sidney community made the decision easy to want to go through the struggle of rebuilding," Hillesland said. "We wanted to do something for our community that was unique and different. This has given us the opportunity to give back and provide something special for our area. We hope Mimi's will be here for years to come."

Gov. Gianforte finished the day at Butler Ag, an agriculture equipment dealer serving Sidney and the surrounding area.