Great Falls and Cascade County Approve Tax Incentives to Attract Major Manufacturer
Why It Matters
A Washington state aerospace and defense manufacturer is weighing whether to build a massive production campus in Great Falls, Montana — and local officials are pulling out all the stops to win the bid. The decision, expected before the end of May, could reshape the economic landscape of a region that has seen little major industrial growth in decades.
The competing sites include two Idaho cities — Twin Falls and Jerome — making this a direct head-to-head competition between Montana and its neighbor to the south for one of the more significant manufacturing investments the Mountain West has seen in years.
What Happened
Both the Great Falls City Commission and the Cascade County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on May 12 to approve tax abatement packages designed to attract Janicki Industries. The Washington-based company, which produces metal tooling and components for the marine, defense, and aerospace sectors, is looking to construct a 1.5-million-square-foot manufacturing campus that could bring hundreds of jobs to the area.
The city’s incentive program offers a 50% reduction in property taxes for the first five years, with that benefit gradually decreasing over the following five years. By year ten, the company would pay its full tax obligation. Janicki would receive separate abatements for each of the four planned construction phases, with occupancy deadlines ranging from May 31, 2029, for the first phase to May 31, 2035, for the fourth.
The county matched the city’s incentive structure and also approved an additional tax break under state law covering an estimated $2.7 million in industrial equipment.
By the Numbers
- 1.5 million square feet — proposed size of the Janicki manufacturing campus
- $9.3 million — estimated annual property tax obligation without incentives
- $3.8 million — estimated annual tax burden under the approved abatement package
- 1,900 employees — current Janicki workforce, more than double its size since 2022
- 3 competing sites — Great Falls, Twin Falls (Idaho), and Jerome (Idaho)
Local Support Was Broad
A wide range of community leaders spoke in favor of the incentive packages at both meetings. Supporters included the president of the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce, the superintendent of Great Falls Public Schools, the executive director of NeighborWorks Great Falls, and representatives from major local contractors, energy providers, and aviation businesses.
“The pressure’s on, but it’s worth it,” said Brad Talcott of James Talcott Construction. “Because this is a company that could be great for Great Falls.”
City Commissioner Rick Tryon summed up the mood bluntly: “What do we got to do to get you to come to Great Falls?”
Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs defended the use of tax abatement directly. “This one, I will tell you, is exactly what tax abatement is designed for,” Briggs said. “It is designed to get a facility moved to our area.”
Not everyone was enthusiastic. At the city meeting, a Democratic candidate for a state Senate seat argued the breaks were unfair to small businesses and working families who pay their full tax share without any relief.
Workforce and Site Considerations
Janicki’s community relations representative, Nick Lavacca, told city commissioners the company intends to hire and train workers locally rather than relocate a large existing workforce. “It is this community that we’re looking at,” Lavacca said. “It’s not importing a bunch of people from Washington.”
However, Lavacca acknowledged that Great Falls has a smaller immediately available labor pool compared to the metropolitan areas surrounding the company’s existing facilities in Washington state and Utah — a challenge officials will need to address if the project moves forward.
Montana Department of Commerce Chief Marketing Officer Mitch Staley said landing Janicki would “instantly” raise the state’s profile in advanced manufacturing and open career pathways for young Montanans in aerospace and defense — sectors where Montana’s footprint is still emerging.
What’s Next
Janicki Industries is expected to announce its site selection by the end of May. If Great Falls is chosen, the project would represent one of the largest tax incentive commitments in the city and county’s history, according to officials involved in the process. The proposed campus would be developed at the AgriTech Park, a rail-served industrial site owned by the Great Falls Development Authority, which has spent years recruiting manufacturers to the location.
Montana’s ability to compete against two Idaho sites will likely come down to workforce availability, infrastructure, and the total value of the incentive package assembled by local and state officials.
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