Page 32 - Flathead Beacon // 2.19.14

32 | FEBRUARY 19, 2014
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

BUSINESS

THE WEST

IS BACK,

ECONOMISTS

SAY

Analysts predict Flathead
County economy will
By BEACON STAFF

see rapid growth in 2014
ECHOING LOCAL OPTIMISM ABOUT AN
expanding economy, state analysts are en-
couraged by Flathead County’s quick recovery
and see 2014 as a potential “breakout” year.
Declines in the Western Montana economy are

over as metro areas are once again making a contribu-
tion to statewide growth, according to economists from
the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic
Research.
“The vigorous oil-related growth in the east continues,
but the big news in the 2014 outlook is that declines in the west are
over,” Patrick Barkey, director of the BBER, told more than 200 people
who attended last week’s 39th annual Economic Outlook Seminar at Ka-

lispell’s Hilton Garden Inn.
Flathead County has recovered quickly from a sharp decline during the
Great Recession, but the overall economy made solid gains in 2013 and ap-
pears poised for even more growth this year, Barkey and others said.
“Construction has begun to inch upward, rekindling of home building
nationwide is slowly bringing the wood products industry back to life, the im-
proved U.S. economy has meant renewed growth in nonresident travel and
better worldwide economic trends have improved conditions in high-tech

manufacturing,” said Paul Polzin, director emeritus of BBER.
Polzin said home construction should keep growing, though it won’t like-
ly return to pre-recession levels in 2014. The emergence of Kalispell as a re-
gional trade and service center has added an additional dimension to the eco-
nomic base of Flathead County, he said. The most recent data suggest that the
heath care industry now attracts more dollars than it sends to other medical
centers, such as Missoula and Great Falls. There is also evidence that more

Canadians are crossing the border for elective procedures, Polzin said.
Flathead’s nonfarm labor income is projected to rise 2.9 percent in 2014.
The biggest story in the state continues to be the roaring oil development
on the eastern part of the state.
STEVE LARSON | FLATHEAD BEACON