Whitehall, MT

Whitehall business owners met at the Legion Street Grille to discuss Whitehall’s vision. Their comments follow:

What do you like about Whitehall?

¤ The size–keep Whitehall small, Bozeman is too big.

¤ Small town values and atmosphere.

¤ Positive place to do business

¤ Interstate access

¤ The business community is cohesive and engaged

¤ Comprehensive kids’ programs in school.

¤  Outdoor mecca (hunting, fishing, hiking, etc, positive quality of life)

¤ Customers care about the businesses and their success, become apart of life of the business and owners.

¤ Actively looking for hi-income folks who work and live at home.

What do you think Whitehall needs?

¤ Infrastructure: telecoms for people working remotely

¤ Attract younger families (Schools, sustain vibrancy)

¤ Jobs, growth

¤ Replace the tax base

Ideas for Whitehall

¤ Specific functions/events to draw people to town (like Philipsburg)

¤ Infrastructure Improvement to attract big business: 4 bars on cell phone, true high speed Internet,

¤ Streets and sidewalks & boulevard improvements: gives better impressions, will encourage people to stop, not scare them so they keep on driving

¤ Find ways to keep local population here

¤ Customer service keeps my business here.

¤ Mine is doing a good job with the business park

¤ Create identity for downtown: uniform look, part of tourism loop, rebuild downtown area, have an identity and key to draw people the way Ennis is the fly fishing capital, downtown success is my success.

¤ An identity will be great but will it draw enough people?

¤ How do we get people in off the Interstate?

Things that could be improved or changed

¤ People like to go for recreation and shopping out of town

¤ Change expectation of failure for local businesses

¤ People have to work harder (customer service) to succeed in a small town because customers have the option to go somewhere else.

¤ Support for businesses to get them up and running successfully

¤ Street light/aluminum can drive: create our own street light bases, old time look with whole town behind it.

¤  Sidewalks are a big concern

¤ Other businesses that draw people in like a waterslide or a golf course.

¤ Community Map/Old Town Business district sign.

¤ Business owners be consistent: If sign says open at 9, be there at 9.  If sick child, put a sign up that explains business is still open and not failing. Return calls.