Mining City hosts jobs summit

By Max Baucus, D-Mont. U.S. Senator - 04/20/2007

Driving across our state, changing landscapes scroll past. There are the grasslands of Fallon County, Missouri River Breaks, Yellowstone Rimrocks, Georgetown Lake, Cabinet Mountains. But as the scenery changes, you are always reminded by the big sky that you are in Montana.

As you pass through the different terrain, you will also notice the diversity in our state’s economy. Richland County oil fields are bursting with activity. Judith Gap is the crossroads of renewable energy and agriculture. Two world-class bioscience facilities are undergoing expansion in the Bitterroot Valley. And here in Butte, you have exciting research under way at Montana Tech and a burgeoning high-tech sector.

To continue to spur the economy, on April 30 and May 1, I’m hosting the fourth Montana Economic Development Summit in the Mining City. The goal of these summits is simple: to create more good-paying jobs in Montana. And this year’s summit is proving to be our biggest yet, with nearly 2,000 people already registered. The summit is an opportunity for folks from all across Montana, each with ideas as diverse as our geography, to network with each other and with business leaders from all over the country and the world.

This year’s theme is innovation. Innovation has been the lifeblood of Montana. It helped an Irish immigrant turn Butte into the heartbeat of the West. It helped a young Butte angler revolutionize the fly-fishing industry. And innovation is what will help the small businesses in Montana compete globally.

Montana is a small-business state, and part of our “can do” spirit is to try new ideas. I want to make sure Montana’s entrepreneurs have all the resources they need to succeed. That’s why I’ve invited several of the country’s top business experts to share tips on how best to succeed in today’s economy.

Our keynote speaker is Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. I’m very excited about having Bernanke coming. As head of the Federal Reserve, he is in charge of the majority of our country’s monetary policies. When I told him about our summit, he was very impressed and interested in the concept of bringing folks together and very excited about coming.

We will also have Bill Gates via satellite. It goes without saying that Gates could write the book on small-business success. Starting out in a garage, with a dream, he has built one of the largest companies in the history of the world. I’m sure he will have some great stories and advice on how to best use technology to succeed.

We will also have former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin. While Rubin has a resume a mile long, what most impressed me is that his signature appeared on all money printed during his tenure as treasury secretary. I know he will have some interesting, “behind-the-scenes” tales.

Finally, we will have August Busch IV, president and CEO of Anheuser-Busch. Busch is one of the nation’s top business minds, and I know he will have some great advice.

In addition, we will also have quite an international flair at the summit. Ambassadors from some of the world’s most dynamic economies including China, Korea, Bahrain, Panama, Indonesia, Chile, and Saudi Arabia will be touring around Montana before coming to the summit. At the summit they will share how best our state can work with their respective countries to open new markets. And of course, new markets mean more good-paying jobs here at home.

Finally, we will have several breakout sessions focused on different aspects of doing business. For example, repre- sentatives from eBay will talk about success with online marketing, and several other experts will provide resources on how to make small businesses thrive.

Montana businesses will also have an opportunity to network with the more than 50 national businesses attending the summit. By showing what a great place Montana is to do business, I know we will attract even more good-paying jobs here at home.

Like the old saying goes, two heads are better than one, though I guess in this case it would be more like 2,000 heads are better than one. See you in Butte on April 30 and May 1.

— Max Baucus is Montana’s senior U.S. senator and chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.