Welcome to BREDD
The BitterRoot Economic Development District, Inc (BREDD) is the federally designated economic development district for Western Montana Region covering Ravalli, Mineral, and Missoula counties. BREDD is responsible for regional economic development planning and collaborates with various private and public sector agencies to accomplish this goal. BREDD brings together the private and public sectors in a partnership necessary to provide a coordinated strategy and an ongoing economic development program for the region.
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BREDD engages in projects throughout the region to improve the level of economic activity. If you have a project that we could assist with or if you are interested in one of our projects please contact us. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy:
BREDD published the 2007 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the three county region. Work Groups representing five economic sectors, infrastructure, business development, workforce/education, redevelopment, and land use met throughout the months January and February. In March these groups presented their recommendation to a larger group and received input. Results of these meeting can be found on the BREDD Blog http://www.breddinc.blogspot.com/ . These recommendation have been passed on to a Strategy Committee that is developing the CEDS document. This a five year strategy that will guide economic development within the region and can be used to secure funding for projects alligned with the stategy. CEDS 2007 WAGE AND BENEFIT SURVEY:
BREDD is partnering with Montana Community Development Corporation and the Northwest Area Foundation to implement a Wage and Benefit Survey within the three county region. The survey establishes and communicates a baseline understanding of the wage and benefit (WBM) levels as a key indicator of the prosperity of Missoula/Ravalli/Mineral Counties region. This project will serve as a pilot project for the greater Northwest Area Foundation region. AGENDA (PDF 10kb) The Regional Wages and Benefits Forum took place October 29th, 2007 in the Governor Room of the Florence Building(see agenda above).The Forum presented to the peliminary results from a Wages and Benefits Survey of 1016 businesses in the three county region, Mineral, Ravalli, and Missoula Counties. The new Wage and Benefit Metric was showcased and demonstrated. Approximately 40 people participated in the 4 hour discussion. Two panel discussions took place 1) Focusing on business owners and their sucesses and challenges in providing good wages and benefits to their employees; 2) A panel of community leaders discussing potential strategies and needs in the region to achieve better wages and benefits. Links:Wage and Benefit Metric Missoulian Article* Forum PresentationWage and Benefit Metric and Peliminary Survey Results PowerPoint.* Please note that the Wage and Benefit Metric measures Wage and Benefit Quality not Job Quality. Wage and Benefits quality is on component of job quality COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY BitterRoot Economic Development District Inc (BREDD) is embarking in an effort to implement a Communication Engineering Assessment and Strategy for the three county region (Mineral, Ravalli, and Missoula) in partnership with the three counties and the area economic development organizations. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the district identified under the Infrastructure Section an objective to improve communication infrastructure: Develop the region’s capacity to continually expand telecommunication infrastructure in order to enhance the capability of the region’s businesses to compete in today’s global economy. This study would include existing infrastructure inventory, community needs assessment, available technologies, and recommended actions to improve communication infrastructure in underserved areas. The need for this can be argued from many angles, health, emergency services, education, and of course economic development. BREDD is not promoting one over the other, but believes that they are all tied together supporting overall community health and quality of life.
Once funds are secured BREDD would work with its partners to develop an RFP to hire an engineering firm to perform the work. This study would provide communities with the foundation to pursue funding for recommended projects and is projected to be finished in the Winter of 08/09.
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