Where: Lewistown, Montana

Issue: Many rural communities lack capacity and economic opportunities

Outcome: Working with RCAC’s Building Rural Economies program, Lewistown created three new businesses, expanded one business and created six new jobs.

In the nearly 40 years since Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) was established, staff have provided, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. A key component of that goal is to help communities develop their own assets and resources to build and expand their rural economies.

In 2013, RCAC established its Building Rural Economies (BRE) program with three aims. The program increases local entrepreneurship and jobs. It develops catalytic projects that seed additional investments. And BRE also develops a supportive, entrepreneurial environment for economic development to thrive.

During the fall of 2015, RCAC BRE staff began building the long-term capacity of the Snowy Mountain Development Corporation, an economic development nonprofit organization serving Lewistown. BRE staff identified and implemented several catalytic projects, including the Creekside Marketplace and Pavilion as well as planned development of market rate housing and commercial space on a former Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields site.

To date, the local community has successfully raised more than $2 mil- lion for these and other community economic development projects.

In 2017, RCAC advanced the BRE program with 38 new or expanded businesses and 27 new jobs throughout the American West. This economic growth includes three new businesses created in Lewistown: Trinity Construction, Sew Pieceful and Benchmark Masonry. It also includes the expansion of one business, SAS Sprinklers. Two new jobs were created at Trinity Construction, two new positions at Sew Pieceful and two new jobs at Benchmark Masonry.