Three local technology companies have been awarded grants that will assist them in hiring over a hundred people in Flathead County.

Big Sky Trust Fund Job Creation grants were awarded to ClassOne Technology, GL Solutions, and Nomad Global Communication Solutions. The companies are among the half dozen recipients of over $1 million through the program this year, according to the Montana Department of Commerce.

“It’s a great tool for our local businesses to help them fund growth,” wrote Montana West Economic Development President Christy Cummings Dawson by email. Dawson and the economic development nonprofit helped the companies put together their grant applications.

According to Cummings Dawson, the grants ensure the new jobs will be high-paying.

“[The companies] will be reimbursed for each new job created [with compensation] over $22.05 [per hour] and have to show a one-to-one matching investment, either in wages paid or equipment purchase,” she said.

This was the first time ClassOne had been selected, but GL Solutions and Nomad had previously been awarded grants through the program, according to Cummings Dawson.

Hiring in the Flathead Valley has been difficult for high-tech manufacturing company ClassOne, whose business focuses on developing specialized tools for microelectronics production, according to Vice President John Ghekiere.

Ghekiere says that the grant will support “serious growth,” which could see the company hire an additional 45 employees. The company currently has 70 employees in Kalispell.

Nomad, which designs and manufactures mobile operations centers for emergency services and private sector companies, has received funding from the program before.

“We’ve been very fortunate to utilize it a number of different times,” said Clay Binford, Nomad co-founder. “It has allowed us to expand faster in certain areas because it has allowed us to defer or offset a few of the costs.”

In addition to the 26 assembly, project management and administrative positions that Nomad hopes to fill in Flathead County, Binford said that the grant funds allow the company to offset a portion of payroll costs and focus on expanding their new factory in Libby.

The company is building out its Lincoln County facility and expects to begin production in April.

Binford hopes to hire 78 employees there with the help of the grant, which has the option of being extended an additional year.

Regulatory software developer GL Solutions will hire 30 workers with the help of the job creation grant, according to CEO Bill Moseley.

Moseley praised Montana West Economic Development and Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration for helping his company through what he described as a simple grant application process.

Ghekiere agreed, and gave specific thanks to Cummings Dawson.

“I was quite clumsy in putting some of the details together but Christy’s experience and clear instruction made it all straightforward,” he said.

“Sometimes our customers ask us why we make semiconductor equipment in Montana. One of the answers is experiences like this.”

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.