Helena-area business news

Cale Fisher was selected as the 69th board president of the Montana Contractors Association during the organization’s annual meeting, Jan. 24 in Bozeman.

Fisher, a fifth-generation Montanan, brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the construction industry. Now employed at Riverside Contracting in Missoula, Fisher has been an integral part of the construction sector for more than 15 years. He earned a degree in construction engineering technology from Montana State University.

He said his passion for construction was ignited during a summer spent as a laborer at a Ready-mix operation for Aggregate Industries in Minneapolis and later at the cement plant operated by GCC in Three Forks.

In 2005, he joined Riverside Contracting in Missoula as a field engineer.

Fisher has been involved with key initiatives such as the DEQ Opencut Stakeholder group and the MCA-MDT Highway Tech Committee.

He has served as an MCA board member since 2019.

Fisher resides in the Bitterroot Valley with his wife, Judie, and their two sons. He contributes to the community by coaching football and serving as a volunteer EMT/firefighter.

For more information about the Montana Contractors Association, visit www.mtagc.org.

St. Peter’s Health Medical Group welcomes new family medicine nurse practitioner Maggie Bristow.

Bristow earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Carroll College. Bristow is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Nurses Association and Montana Nurses Association.

Bristow is providing care at the St. Peter’s Health Broadway Clinic, located at 2550 Broadway in Helena. Call 406-457-4180 for more information.

Gov. Greg Gianforte has proclaimed February as Career and Technical Education Month in Montana and celebrated the expansion of Build Montana to Great Falls Public Schools.

Build Montana is a partnership between the Montana Contractors Association (MCA), the Montana Equipment Dealers’ Association, and the MCA Education Foundation to provide high school students with work-based learning opportunities. Serving approximately 140 students in the state, the program recently expanded to GFPS.

Touring the automotive shop at the Paris Gibson Education Center, the governor yesterday welcomed the inaugural class of 13 students and heard directly from them on the benefits of the program.

Declaring February as CTE Month in Montana and signing the proclamation, the governor concluded, “Everybody wins when students have access to personalized work-based learning paths to prepare them for their future. I’m proud to proclaim February as CTE Month to continue empowering young Montanans like you all with in-demand skills.”

The Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection fielded 958 scam complaints and saved Montanans from losing nearly $800,000 in 2023, officials said.

In 2023, OCP prevented Montanans from losing $526,000 to scammers and recovered $267,000 for customers who filed complaints about businesses.

Also, a total potential loss of $770,000 was reported to OCP by Montanans who knew they were being targeted by a scammer but did not pay them.

“The Office of Consumer Protection is here to help keep Montanan’s hard-earned money out of the hands of scammers,” Attorney General Austin Knudsen said.

Montanans should use these tips to protect themselves from scammers:

• Don’t give out personal information to someone soliciting it from you over the phone or the internet. Banks will never and government agencies will never call and ask for your personal information.

• Never wire or give money to someone you don’t know. Don’t send gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or cryptocurrency to someone you do not know. Even if you think it’s someone you know, follow up to make sure before you wire any money.

• Use common sense and do your due diligence: ask around, talk to others, and call OCP if you have any doubts or questions.

• Be skeptical, resist high-pressure tactics, take your time.

Montanans can report any phone, email, or mail scams to the Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection at contactocp@mt.gov, or 406-444-4500 (toll-free: 800-481-6896), or online at dojmt.gov/consumer.

Invest in Helena, a program of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce, will be the second Tuesday of every month from February to May.

The first session on Feb. 13, from 4:30-6:30 pm, kicks off with “Community Visioning.”

The event will dive into a brainstorming session to celebrate what makes Helena special and explore avenues for growth.

Invest in Helena is focused on fostering local community development. Participants will receive valuable insights from representatives of community organizations actively addressing and meeting the real-time needs for Helena’s growth.

Monthly meetings held at Lewis and Clark Brewing Co.’s Power Room offer a space for networking and addressing challenges. The following months topics will be, “Build Your Dream Team, Funding Your Vision, and Next Steps to Invest in Your Helena.”

Invest in Helena originated as a platform for people to share a common goal to preserve the essence of Helena.

Register now at https://cvent.me/LNRDQE.

The Helena Chamber of Commerce’s combined Chamber Night + Awards Event, will be Feb. 16 at the Helena Civic Center.

This event is the primary fundraising drive for 2024, blending celebration with community support.

This year’s Annual Chamber Business Awards for categories of Business, Non-Profit, Businessperson and Entrepreneur of the Year will be presented during the gala instead of the typical luncheon.

Nominate for the awards before Feb. 19, and be part of recognizing businesses and individuals who’ve made a lasting impact on Helena by attending Chamber Night.

Nominate at https://forms.gle/wJUuhbTWYNgBYwyn6.

Along with the option of individual tickets and full tables, businesses can donate tables to nonprofits, spotlighting their generosity during the event.

The night offers a VIP reception, dinner, dessert auction, live painting by Leah Cupino, and an after-party with live music.

RSVP for Chamber Night: https://cvent.me/Eo9ymD.