GREAT FALLS — Dozens of Great Falls community members packed Heritage Hall at Great Falls College on Thursday to get answers from one of the biggest economic development announcements in the city's recent history.
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Janicki Industries — an advanced manufacturing company headquartered in Sedro-Woolley, Washington — is breaking ground on a new 800 million dollar, 180-acre manufacturing facility in the AgriTech Park, south of 18th Avenue. It will be the company's first location in Montana and its largest expansion to date.
The community forum gave residents a chance to ask questions directly — ranging from Janicki's impact on local housing to how the company plans to engage with Great Falls schools and recruit local talent.
"Would you kind of outline or express a little bit more about education at a high school, junior high level?" one attendee asked.
"There's concerns about housing in Great Falls and where we want to house the workers you're going to bring in," said another.
For Janicki Executive Vice President Tim Babcock, the turnout was a welcome sign.
"They asked a lot of great questions. And we can feel that they're excited for us to be here. And we're really excited to join the community," Babcock said.
Janicki specializes in the design, engineering, and production of large-scale composite structures, tooling, and specialized components for aerospace, defense, transportation, marine, energy, and industrial markets. The company has been in business for more than 33 years and currently operates facilities in Washington and Utah.
As operations begin in the first building, Janicki anticipates hiring roughly 200 people — with plans to ramp up from there. Available positions are expected to include skilled trades, manufacturing and production roles, engineering, quality assurance, maintenance, logistics, administrative support, and other professional positions. The company says it will prioritize hiring from Great Falls and the surrounding region and will consider candidates without prior manufacturing experience.
Janicki also plans to recruit at Montana State University, MSU Northern, and Montana Technological University through career fairs, advisory boards, internships, and workforce development programs. The company also intends to engage with Malmstrom Air Force Base personnel, veterans, and military spouses through workforce outreach initiatives.
On the housing front, Great Falls Development Alliance Executive President Jolene Schalper says Janicki's announcement has already had a ripple effect.
"It took Janicki's announcement to get several of these projects over that hump. They've been planned. We've been waiting for a couple of years. And I will tell you, in the last month, there's movement on three projects that we've been waiting to have movement on," Schalper said.
GFDA and Janicki say those projects will bring more housing and more local jobs — and that Great Falls is on the verge of significant growth.
Construction is expected to begin in July 2026. Operational schedules are still being finalized, but Janicki anticipates running multiple shifts as the campus grows. At full campus completion, the facility is expected to consume approximately 3.1 million kilowatt-hours of power and 5.2 million gallons of water per year.
Janicki says it meets or exceeds all applicable state and federal environmental requirements and has maintained a strong environmental compliance record with no significant issues in the last 15 years. The company's Environmental Team will partner with a qualified hazardous waste disposal provider in Montana to manage materials used in the manufacturing process.
Hiring timelines and job postings will be announced as the project progresses. Interested candidates are encouraged to monitor Janicki's careers page and social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X for updates.
Community members can also stay informed through the Great Falls Development Alliance at greatfallsmt.gov.
