Local American ingenuity on display
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I was privileged to join the Montana Manufacturing Extension Service tour of several Kalispell enterprises recently, fueling my passion for Montana business.
We learned of Semi Tool’s new million-dollar investment in their Kalispell properties and toured their surgically clean assembly and R&D facility at the corner of U.S. Highway 93 and Reserve. The Montana division of its global parent company, Applied Materials, exports $275 million in product annually. We watched machinery that can create 100 precision microchips an hour at tolerances measured in atomic-scale angstroms. These machines are in demand all over the world, displaying the flags of their destination nation on them throughout assembly. The place hums with nonstop energy and the aroma of fresh coffee, as product obsolescence will swamp any laggards in the industry.
At Nomad Global Communications Solutions, or GCS, a foursome of young entrepreneurs are building high-tech custom communication modules that they install in mobile command posts. We toured two of 18 school-bus-length heavy-duty van-type trucks they are constructing for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The red Corps Castle logo on the fresh white trucks was proof that these guys have hit the big time and employ many Flathead area technicians, building units to very high standards.
Lunchtime speaker Alex Philip described the success of his company, “Terra Echos,” giving huge credit to local partners SK Technologies, SK Aerospace, and SK Global Solutions. Mr. Philip specifically gave Larry Hall credit as a valued mentor. SK employees play a valuable part in creating the equipment our military uses to detect terrorist movements, such as the planting of deadly improvised explosive devices.
My hope for the future was kindled by observing the prototype Algae Aquaculture test system. Located at Stoltz sawmill — to utilize the supply of waste woody biomass — the system is proving itself beyond expectations as a viable producer of fuel and fertilizer using minimal resources.
Supervisor John Murdock expects the new facility to be commercially feasible by spring, providing power for Stoltz kiln boilers and spinning off saleable soil-restoring crop fertilizer. This concept they fondly call “the intelligent buffalo” could be the most promising solution for CO2 reduction, thanks to the lowly and ancient organism of algae.
If you need your faith restored in good, old-fashioned American ingenuity, I suggest you take a moment to look into these local enterprises online, or personally contact them. Their products may go all around the world, but they’re good neighbors and will make you proud of “Montana-Made.”
