Business Bites: Ignite 2026; All The Things Charcuterie moving; The Atomic underground bar; Hometana staying put; Erdmann retiring from GFCMSU; Independence Bank scholarships; Women in Construction week, fundraiser; and more
The Great Falls Development Alliance hosted their annual Ignite event on Jan. 9.
Here’s a few nuggets we hadn’t previously included in business bites and updates, plus a few bonus bites for your Friday.
Boardroom
All The Things Charcuterie is rebranding into the Boardroom and moving out of Annie’s Tap House into their own space at 122 Central Ave., the former Boutique space.
Carie Bates, owner, said they’ll open for orders next week and are hoping to open the new retail space in late February.
The Atomic
The Atomic, a 1970s themed cocktail lounge, is planned for the basement of the O’Haire Inn downtown.
Sandi Thares, owner of the O’Haire and Sip ‘n Dip, said they had a large meeting space in the basement of the building that was part of their “retrovert” renovation and “turned out really cool.”
Thares said they’re planning to open this spring with a 1970s classic cocktail lounge crossed with a bomb shelter.
Hometana
The owners of Hometana purchased a building downtown and had planned to moved into the building at 117 Central Avenue.
Shirstie Gaylord, Hometana owner, said that they heard from customers who love the existing space at 112 1st Ave. S. and have decided not to move the store into the new building.
Instead, Gaylord said she’s working on turning into some sort of retail store but doesn’t know what it will be yet.
Advanced Practice
Advanced Practice Physical Therapy is moving to 601 9th S. S. with plans to open in May, if not sooner.
Little Light Coffee and Mini Donuts
Little Light Coffee and Mini Donuts is planning to open at 512 Central Ave. later this month.
ToolBox
Jill Tranmer and her husband purchased the ToolBox at 420 3rd St. S. in 2023.
Tranmer said that last year she also gained access and ownership to the name Bearing Sales and began selling bearings.
Benefis
Benefis’ healthy aging center is scheduled to open this fall, as is the first portion of their Sanavita Estates senior housing development.
City Commission approves Benefis’ planning senior living subdivision [2025]
Heroes Rise Coffee
Heroes Rise Coffee recently opened a second location in The Station District and said during Ignite that they’re planning to move their headquarters and roasting operations into the building behind the mall that houses Universal Athletics.
Spark! Children’s Museum
Spark! Children’s Museum is hoping to reopen this spring, but since only about two percent of their exhibits could make the move to their new location at 201 2nd Ave. S., they’re seeking community sponsors for new exhibits.
Spark! museum receives two funding awards for new exhibits, programs [2025]
Spark! Children’s Museum has hired new director [2025]
Children’s Museum has selected new location downtown [2025]
East side development
Ted Mitchell announced his plans for a 100-acre mixed use development on the east end of Great Falls during the 2025 Ignite.
On Jan. 9, he said they’ve done soil and traffic studies and the planned roundabout at 10th Avenue South and 57th Street is no longer in the plans. He said he expects the development to generate “a ton of traffic.”
The traffic reviews are being conducted by the Montana Department of Transportation.
Mitchell said that they’re hoping to start on the first phase that includes a hotel next year.
The property is currently outside the city limits in the county’s jurisdiction and no applications for annexation or zoning have yet been submitted to the city.
Erdmann retiring
Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO and dean of Great Falls College Montana State University, is retiring in July, after five years in the position.
A national search for Erdmann’s successor will start in the coming weeks and more details will be announced later, according to GFCMSU.
“This has been a tough decision as I have loved my time at Great Falls College, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for it,” she said in a release. “But I have decided that this will be the right time for me to begin the next chapter of my life and focus on new personal goals and opportunities.”
Erdmann selected as next dean for GFCMSU [2021]
Erdmann said leading GFCMSU was the culmination of a career in two-year education and workforce training. She started on July 1, 2021, after a long career in higher education in Montana and Wisconsin, where she worked at both state and tribal institutions.
Under Erdmann’s direction, Great Falls College’s enrollment has grown about 25 percent with the addition of programs such as substance abuse and addictions counseling, early childhood education, office management and supervision, office support, and veterinary technician, according to the college.
From fall 2021 to fall 2025, enrollment grew from 1,180 to 1,490. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent students grew from 709 to 884. Full-time equivalency is calculated by dividing the total credits taken by all Great Falls College students by 15, which marks a full-time number of credits.
During that time, the college expanded its offerings through the rebranded Continuing Education and Training department by introducing or expanding high-demand training programs, including the commercial driver’s license program, the Future Build construction training initiative, flooring installation and structural welding. The college also strengthened its health care offerings, such as certified nursing assistant, according to GFCMSU.
Independence Bank mortgage team
Independence Bank as added Harley Leier to the Great Falls branch and its home mortgage lending team.
She has a diverse background in banking, lending, and regulatory compliance, with a bachelor’s degree in business management from North Dakota State University.
She began her banking career while attending college, starting as a teller at a local financial institution before advancing into roles as a customer service specialist and consumer lender.
Following her early career experience, the Dillon native relocated to Nebraska, where she worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and later served as a compliance analyst for a community bank in Norfolk, Neb.
She recently moved to Great Falls.
Independence Bank scholarships
Independence Bank offers scholarship opportunities for incoming first-year students planning to attend Montana State University-Northern. Applications are due Feb. 1.
To be eligible, students must graduate from high a school in Hill, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Daniels, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Liberty, Chouteau, Glacier, Teton, Cascade, Pondera, Toole or Lewis and Clark counties.
Independence Bank will award eight $1,000 scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Recipients will receive $500 during fall semester and $500 during spring semester.
Scholarship recipients must have at least a 2.5 GPA to be eligible for the spring award.
For more information, contact the MSU-Northern financial aid office at 406-265-3787.
Women in Construction Week
The National Association of Women in Construction will celebrate the 27th Annual Women in Construction Week March 2-8.
NAWIC’s mission is to enhance the success of women in the construction industry.
The focus of WIC Week is to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry.
The Montana Chapter of NAWIC will be hosting a series of outreach events during WIC Week in March and will be hosting its first Hard Hats and Heels fundraising event in Great Falls on March 6 at 410 Central Ave.
Hard Hats and Heels honors and celebrates women in construction and raises money to support scholarships, educational programs and workforce development initiatives.
There will be a silent auction held during the event, a Wine and Whiskey pull, and dinner and dancing.
Got a business bite? Email it to jenn@theelectricgf.com with ‘business bite’ in the subject line and the details in text form in the body of the email.