Business Newsmakers

Weyerhaeuser honors volunteer 

Weyerhaeuser has named a Kalispell mill Maintenance Supervisor, Chance Evenson, a Volunteer of the Year for his exceptional work supporting youth organizations in the Flathead Valley. One of five employees awarded across the United States and Canada, a Kalispell resident, Evenson is passionate about supporting local kids and teens, including nearly 20 years of volunteering with 4-H. For the past eight years, he’s also coached for the Montana Avalanche, a girls’ softball team, and coached and supported the Flathead Valley Wrestling Club. 

 “Chance embodies the spirit of volunteerism,” says one of his five nominators. “He has a rare ability to meet kids where they are, inspire them to push beyond their limits, and help them believe in themselves. His leadership ensures young people have mentors to guide them, role models to look up to, and experiences that build both character and lifelong skills.” 

As part of the award recognition, he received a $5,000 Weyerhaeuser TREE-mendous Matching Gifts reward, which he will donate to Montana Avalanche softball. 

Lewistown contractor to lead Construction Association Board 

The Montana Contractors Association has announced that Guy Slaybaugh of Century Companies, Inc. has been elected as its Board President for 2026.  

Slaybaugh serves as the Operations Manager for Century Companies in Lewistown. He has over 25 years experience in the construction industry and has spent the last 15 years with Century. A Montana State University grad with a degree in construction engineering, he is a native of Whitefish. Slaybaugh becomes the fourth MCA Board President representing Century Companies in the Association’s 91-year history. 

The Montana Contractors Association, a chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, is a trade organization representing the leading heavy civil, highway and commercial contractors in Montana. 

Commerce awards Economic Impact and Destination Event grants 

The Montana Department of Commerce has awarded 48 local event organizations more than $828,000 in grant funding to support destination events that will help increase tourism in Montana communities. The funding is through commerce’s Economic Impact and Destination Event Grant Program. 

The following will receive EIDE grant funding:  

The Bigfork Brewfest 2026 in Bigfork will receive $12,332. 

The Bigfork Whitewater Festival in Bigfork will receive $23,800. 

The Big Sky Reining Classic in Kalispell will receive $25,000. 

The Clark Fork River Pedal and Farm Tour in Thompson Falls will receive $5,830. 

The Fourth of July Veterans Powwow in Browning will receive $19,000. 

Heritage Day 2026 in Trego will receive $15,000. 

The Kootenai Forest Fair in Libby will receive $3,100. 

The Norman Maclean Literary Festival in Missoula, Ronan and Seeley Lake will receive $25,000. 

The Whitefish Songwriter Festival in Whitefish will receive $25,000. 

In 2025, Trego Fortine Stryker Community Hall received $15,500 of EIDE Grant funding to support the annual Heritage Day festival. 

TFS Community Hall Development Director Kristie Eggebroten said the 2025 Economic Impact and Destination Event Grant is vital to the Trego, Fortine and Stryker communities. 

“It allows us to continue hosting our annual Heritage Day at Blarney Ranch, where visitors can experience the unique history, resilience and traditions of rural Montana,” Eggebroten said. “The exposure and tourism dollars this event generates allows us to provide a unique experience for tourists while generating revenue to offer critical programming to our rural and underserved community." 

The EIDE Grant Program is a state-funded opportunity authorized by the 2023 Montana Legislature’s enactment of Senate Bill 540. 

For more information about EIDE grants, visit commerce.mt.gov. 

Forest fire prevention specialist honored  

Flathead National Forest’s Fire Prevention and Mitigation Specialist, Mike West, has received the highest national honor that can be awarded for wildfire mitigation.  

West is a member of Firesafe Flathead, a multiagency collaborative council, that has accomplished thousands of acres of cross-boundary hazardous fuels mitigation work, with millions of dollars in grants, has provided monthly educational opportunities and fuels mitigation information to the Flathead community, and has hosted dozens of community wildfire risk reduction field trips throughout the valley. 

West participated in landing a recent award – the five-year, $10 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant, Glacier Gateway Implementation Project. This innovative project, being led by Flathead Electric Cooperative and Montana West Economic Development, serves low-income communities adjacent to Glacier National Park, treating over 3,500 acres and directly benefiting 80,000 community members.  

He has worked collaboratively with agencies in successful Joint Chief’s applications, Flathead County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Flathead Valley Community College wildfire mitigation workshops and has volunteered at several Fire Adapted Montana Learning Network events, helping to mentor other local collaboratives across our state.

West also spearheaded the recent Blacktail Powerline Project, an exemplary collaborative planning effort between the Flathead National Forest, Flathead Electric Cooperative, Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation, and Blacktail Mountain Ski Area with the objective of increasing electrical grid reliability while decreasing the risk of wildfire in the Lakeside community. 

State Department of Commerce awards funding 

The Montana Department of Commerce has awarded 17 economic development organizations over $700,000 in grant funding through the ORE Economic Development Organization Capacity Building Grant Program.  

These organizations, which are actively engaged in economic development and business assistance in rural areas, will use the funds to purchase and install software and hardware, offer trainings and workshops, improve their websites and cover marketing costs. 

Commerce’s ORE EDO Capacity Building Grant Program targets funding to enrolled economic development organizations to strengthen their ability to reach underserved rural businesses, facilitate loan applications and deliver technical assistance that advances economic development in their regions.  

The following are receiving funding. 

Mission West Community Development Partners in Ronan will receive $65,000 for hardware and software upgrades and a new file management system. 

Montana West Economic Development in Kalispell will receive $24,546 for loan management software and staff training. 

Sanders County Community Development Corporation in Thompson Falls will receive $40,000 for marketing, offering workshops and hosting small business events. 

Cider house gets USDA grant  

Big Mountain Ciderworks has been awarded $250,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development through the 2025 Value-Added Producer Grant program, which offers Montana agricultural producers an opportunity to secure funding that supports business growth, product development, and expanded market access. 

Big Mountain Ciderworks is a family-owned orchard and cider house located north of Kalispell. It will use its grant to support working capital for the production and distribution of its locally crafted hard ciders. The funding will help Big Mountain Ciderworks increase production capacity, enhance marketing efforts, and reach new wholesale and retail markets across the region. 

How to submit newsmakers 

The Daily Inter Lake will publish, at no charge, brief announcements of business openings, promotions, relocations, ownership changes, certifications and awards. Photos may be submitted. Email submissions are preferred, with photos in a jpeg format. Email items and photos to [email protected]. 

    Chance Evenson
  

    Mike West
  

    Guy Slaybaugh