State of Montana Newsroom
Governor Gianforte Spotlights Innovation in Montana Industries
ANACONDA, Mont. – Continuing his 56 County Tour in Deer Lodge and Silver Bow counties, Governor Greg Gianforte last week spotlighted innovation in Montana’s lumber and aerospace industries.
“We need to continue to support innovation in all of our industries to create more good-paying jobs and unlock more opportunity for all Montanans,” Gov. Gianforte said. “It’s great to see southwest Montana businesses leading the region in securing historic investments to support a stronger workforce, healthier forests, and to create world-class products.”
Gov. Gianforte visiting KLM Contracting in Anaconda
During his visit to Deer Lodge County, the governor visited KLM Contracting in Anaconda to learn more about southwest Montana’s first automated firewood processing facility. KLM Contracting is a provider of logging, excavation, firewood, and forest management services in southwest Montana. The business and lumber yard located on reclaimed Anaconda Smelter Superfund land employs 30 Montanans.
Third generation logger and KLM Executive Partner Bryan Lorengo is one of four founding partners who together have over 100 years of experience in the logging and forest management industries and who secured a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to establish the processing facility and utilize lumber from treated forests.
“There is virtually no commercial value to ponderosa pine, and we have some ponderosa pine timber sales that we’re bringing in to cut, split, dry, and sell them,” Lorengo said.
Learning more about the grant and new facility, the governor toured the yard and observed the automated firewood machine. Firewood for customers is available for pickup and delivery.
Gov. Gianforte visiting Montana Precision Products in Butte
Continuing his 56 County Tour in Silver Bow County, Gov. Gianforte visited Montana Precision Products to highlight GE Aerospace’s $2 million investment at its joint venture site in Butte to increase manufacturing capacity of commercial and military aircraft engines.
Montana Precision Products is an aerospace manufacturing company based in Butte and serves as a joint venture between GE Aerospace and SeaCast. The nearly 100,000 square foot facility produces tube and duct assemblies and small structural castings for aerospace and commercial applications. The recent investment is being put toward modernizing the facility’s layout to improve workflow and productivity to support the production of engine components used in narrowbody and widebody aircraft engines, along with military marine engines.
Touring the facility and meeting with Mike Forrelli, site leader for GE Aerospace’s joint venture, Gov. Gianforte observed casting, welding, and CNC processes and heard more about the layout modernization underway.
Montana Precision Products employs over 190 Montanans and growing, with increased capacity in the shop expecting to expand their capacity to hire 60 more employees in the coming years.