Great Northern Development Corporation Awarded $4M to Expand Local Meat Processing Capabilities

Great Northern Development Corporation (GNDC) was successfully awarded $4M through the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) to assist regional processors in further supporting the local food supply chain. MPILP provides grant funding to intermediary lenders who finance – or plan to finance – the start-up, expansion, or operation of slaughter, or other processing of meat and poultry. The objective of the MPILP is to strengthen the financing capacity for independent meat processors and to create a more resilient, diverse, and secure U.S. food supply chain. GNDC was one of three organizations in Montana to be awarded funds, in a nationwide competitive application process.

GNDC is a 501c3 community and economic development corporation located in eastern Montana, serving a six-county region. Incorporated in 1994, GNDC has a proven track record of providing professional business and community development services. During the previous three years, GNDC originated 29 loans totaling $1,795,123 and created or retained 38 jobs. GNDC will utilize MPILP funds to capitalize on its existing loan programs, to continue to provide flexible financial products to entrepreneurs in the region. GNDC development services will be leveraged to ensure small business clients who receive MPILP funds are successful and contribute to the job creation and retention of the region. Those services include business planning, financial planning, and technical assistance provided by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Food and Ag Development Center (FADC) hosted within GNDC.

In 2021, GNDC’s FADC conducted a Regional Food Economy Study for 11 counties of eastern Montana. The purpose of the study was to determine how GNDC can support the development of a local/regional food system, to enhance economic development, food security, and community health. The consultants offered immediate, short-term recommendations based on the preliminary findings from the study. One recommendation was to continue assisting entrepreneurs to build viable value-added food and ag-related businesses. Another was to support the evolution of local food initiatives that have already begun in the area.

“GNDC believes that leveraging the USDA MPILP funding is taking action toward these recommendations. The meat processing activity in our region creates accessible local food for our community members, supports the local economy by investing in small businesses, and creates new job opportunities,” states Tori Matejovsky, executive director of Great Northern Development Corporation

Director of GNDC’s FADC Hailey Vine believes this will also have an impact on regional producers. “Many producers are interested in entering the retail market by processing their cattle into packaged cuts of meat. But many of these ranchers have to travel hundreds of miles round trip to access processing that’s able to create those retail cuts. We are now able to provide local processing facilities the financial support to expand their capacity to meet these producers’ needs, which will increase the economic activity of the value-added ag industry in eastern Montana.”

For more information regarding these funds or to inquire about applying for a loan, please contact GNDC’s Food & Ag Development Center at [email protected] or 406-653-2590 ext 201.

To learn more about GNDC’s mission to serve eastern Montana, please visit gndc.org.