While many states and cities have seen an influx of locals fleeing their long-lived residences, Montana has seen an uptick in population, businesses, and attraction since 2020. With new flight options and businesses opening up left and right, there is a growing opportunity for thriving businesses both in Butte and the state of Montana. Explore the latest updates to Butte’s growing community in 2022.
American Airlines Adds New Flights to Bozeman Airport
Family holidays, business trips, and weekend getaways to and from Butte just got easier with American Airlines’ additional flights to the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. Starting in June, travellers departing from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport can enjoy nonstop flights to Bozeman, Montana every Saturday. This announcement comes one year after Allegiant Airlines began servicing the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
“We are thrilled to keep building on our record growth in Austin by providing local travellers more nonstop flights to beaches and mountains for their summer travel plans,” says Brian Znotins, American Airlines vice president of network planning.
In February 2021, American Airlines added seasonal nonstop flights from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport to Phoenix, Arizona throughout the summer. At the time, this was American Airlines’ 7th nonstop flight from Bozeman.
With Butte attracting more and more attention as a business center, we can expect additional flight options from top carriers in the coming years.
Montana Sets New Record for New Businesses Created
2021 was a successful year for business owners and residents in Montana. According to Governor Greg Gianforte and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, a new record has been set for the number of new businesses created in Montana within a single year. In 2021, more than 51,500 new businesses were registered with the Montana Secretary of State. This surpasses 2020’s previously held record by more than 12,000 business registrations. According to the Montana Secretary of State, nearly 30,000 Limited Liability Companies were registered in Montana in 2021.
“A key indicator for economic strength in Montana is the continued growth of new businesses,” said Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, “and the number of new businesses in Montana just continues to grow.”
Governor Jacobsen also mentions Montana has been rated as one of the best states in the nation for business startups. Recently, The Blueprint ranked Montana No. 1 in its “Top 10 Best States to Start Your Small Business in 2021 report.’
The Montana Business Economic Report outlines additional details on the state’s recent success. According to the report, Flathead County saw the most growth in 2021, with over 7,000 new business registrations. The report also revealed March as the most popular month for new business registrations, with 5,161 new businesses registering with the Secretary of State’s Office.
The status of existing businesses also seems to consistently improve. In 2021, Montana saw 178,601 renewal filings and 267,900 businesses reported in good standing, which also surpassed 2020’s performance.
Filmmaker Recognizes Butte Voices this March 2022
Filmmaker Dan Fulton is currently creating a documentary on McQueen and Holy Savior Church. After interviewing tens of people across the United States for his film, he heard time and time again anecdotes of Butte’s biggest celebration and knew he had to go directly to the source.
The celebration? You guessed it: St. Patrick’s Day.
With a heavy, authentic population of American-Irish residents, Fulton wanted to end his documentary by showcasing the voices of Butte. To be fair, Butte’s history surrounding the holiday is one that can not be replicated.
Butte’s first-ever St. Patrick’s Day celebration was held in 1882. A parade of 800 members from the Ancient Order of Hibernians marched from Walkerville to Butte at -30 degrees (Fahrenheit). The documentary is scheduled to premiere in August at the Mother Lode Theatre.
Fulton is inspired by Butte’s one-of-a-kind spirit and hopes others feel its magnetism in his upcoming work. “If we can capture just 10% of Butte’s uniqueness and show the world, I think we’ll be successful,” said Fulton.
