A handful of business representatives

gave a reserved review of the local economy at a meeting last week

hosted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce.

Montana Chamber President Webb Brown,

who stopped in Whitefish at Grouse Mountain Lodge as part of a

statewide tour, gave a brief review of the state’s economy.

He listed a few problem areas such as

the juxtaposition between North Dakota, where a surge in the oil

industry is providing jobs, and Montana, where oil exists, but

there is not much activity. He said lower business equipment taxes;

lower workers’ compensation rates and less onerous environmental

regulations are making North Dakota more attractive to

businesses.

“There’s no silver bullet, but we need

to provide a good business climate,” Brown said.

Still, he said, the state is fairing

better than the country as a whole.

“Montana is doing pretty well, he said.

“The oil and gas and agriculture are doing well. Tourism ended well

even with a slow start.”

Then he turned the meeting to the

audience.

“I want to hear what you’re seeing,” he

said.

Don Chery with Glacier Bancorp pointed

to new regulations in home financing that can make the process

largely confusing. He also noted that the housing supply remains

high, but real estate sales are depressed.

“Banking is tough, but so is everything

else,” he said. “Not many homes are being purchased. People aren’t

feeling real good.”

“Savings are up,” he added. “Liquidity

is king right now.”

Karen Baker, general manager at Grouse

Mountain Lodge, said 2011 showed improvement over recent years.

“Summer was really good,” she said.

“Fall and spring were slow. We were late to golf and the fall is

cold — the weather has stopped golfers.”

Grouse Mountain did see a return of

some its convention business this summer, but still bookings for

corporate gatherings and weddings remain down.

“They’re not spending like they used to

and their requesting lighter meals that are less expensive,” she

said.

One area that remains strong for Grouse

Mountain is Canada.

“Family travel is back up from 2008,”

she said. “Canada is a very large country for us. Travelers seem to

be sticking closer to home, but are still attracted to Glacier and

Yellowstone parks.”

Whitefish Chamber Executive Director

Kevin Gartland echoed Baker’s statements.

“It’s been a good year, but that ended

when (Glacier’s) Sun Road closed,” he said. “We had two major road

projects that started after Labor Day and that made everything come

to a grinding halt the last two months.”

Despite this, there is hiring taking

place in Whitefish and building in downtown, Gartland noted.

Dee Brown, Columbia Falls Area Chamber

of Commerce president, said laid-off workers seem to be opening

businesses in her town.

“It’s businesses that grow seven people

at a time,” she said. “There’s a skilled workforce who have been

laid off and they are skilled entrepreneurs. We’ve added 30 new

members to the chamber.”

Webb Brown acknowledged that small

business owners are a staple of Montana’s economy.

“Often losing a job is an excuse to

start their own business,” he said. “Sometimes those businesses

that add one at a time versus 100 are better because those with 100

pick up and move and take those 100 jobs with them.”