Gov. Schweitzer visits award sites

Gov. Brian Schweitzer visited Glacier Stone Supply and Flathead Valley Community College Thursday to commemorate the award of almost $700,000 for projects expected to produce 93 jobs.

Glacier Stone Supply, a stone veneer manufacturer, received $232,000 as a Montana Workforce Training Grant to train 58 employees over two years and a block-grant loan of $276,000 for the purchase of new equipment and operating capital from federal dollars received as a grant by Flathead County.

Glacier Stone owner Dave Wilkins said the loan money allowed his business to improve safety as well as efficiency through automation in the form of a lifting table and conveyors.

"We're competing globally from China to Brazil," Wilkins said. "So we need to be efficient and well-run."

He said his company was the first in Montana with thin veneer stone that reduces shipping costs. Wilkins called the variety of colors in Montana stone "unsurpassed in the United States."

According to Wilkins, the jobs at Glacier Stone Supply start at $10 to $11 at entry level, while those requiring a level of skill range from $13 to $15. He quoted annual wages range from $30,000 to $60,000.

Wilkins characterized the job training taking place with grant funds as "lean manufacturing" with an emphasis on safety and worker participation in creating more efficient production processes.

Schweitzer pointed out the advantage of fostering growth of small businesses distributing products within and beyond Montana's borders.

"These building supplies are going to Canada, California and Washington state," he said. "They're not just dependent on the business cycle in Montana. That levels out the highs and lows."

Schweitzer characterized Glacier Stone Supply as a natural-resource business in Montana that requires manufacturing in Montana.

"All the jobs stay here," he said.

The governor also pointed to the advantage offered by jobs spread across a variety of small businesses compared to one large employer such as Columbia Falls Aluminum Co., where a downturn or failure devastates the job market.

Following the ceremony at Glacier Stone Supply, Schweitzer visited the Occupational Trades Building at Flathead Valley Community College. The college's welding and fabrication program received $154,500 for student training from federal dollars in a block grant to the city of Kalispell.

The college expects to train 60 students over two years on the set up and operation of computer numerical controlled lathes and milling machines. Local businesses such as Plum Creek, Semitool and Sonju Industrial need employees trained in these areas.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com