il-june-18

MANAGER PROFILE
right now and drive 4 hours north of Havre, Montana,
I would be in Calgary, which is a city of 1 million people.
We are strategically located in an area of Montana, and in
an area of the United States, that has geographic access to
an incredibly large market. If we can successfully grow crops
in our area, which we know we can, and then add value to
them through food and other manufacturing processes,
access the Canadian market is a great benefit.
Kris Polly: Are there any incentives that people should be
aware of?
Paul Tuss: That is one of the great values of working with
an organization like Bear Paw Development. We have eight
well-trained economic development professionals on our
staff to assist entrepreneurs and people who may want to
start a business. We have access to all the various funding
agencies at both the state and federal level. We house a
number of programs to help entrepreneurs who are just
starting out, as well as business owners who have been in
business for a while. We also have loan funds available to
start and grow a business. Interested entrepreneurs should
get in touch with us.
Kris Polly: Are there any tax advantages to doing business
in Montana?
Paul Tuss: Montana is one of just a handful of states that
does not have a sales tax. That is a significant benefit not
only to businesses, but also consumers. An additional tax
incentive, particularly from a property tax perspective, is
that we have a legislatively authorized property tax break
for new and emerging businesses here in Montana. We
also are home to several tax increment finance districts
that assist businesses and communities build their physical
infrastructure. There are a number of advantages to locating
in Montana.
Kris Polly: If people want to know more information, where
should they go?
Paul Tuss: You can find us on our website at bearpaw.org.
We are willing to do whatever we can to find the right
resources to help people grow their business. IL
Paul Tuss is the executive director of Bear Paw Development
Corporation. He can be reached at PTuss@bearpaw.org.
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IRRIGATION LEADER