Company Profile
Lake County Community Development Corporation
Company Overview
Lake County Community Development Corporation
Mission: To enhance the quality of life and sustainable economic well-being of all residents of the communities we serve.
For the past 18 years, LCCDC has operated a Business Development Center revolving loan fund which provides lower interest loans to companies that are expanding and creating new jobs in Lake County. The organization also provides a full range of business services, including assistance writing business plans, conducting business development workshops and classes, provides specialized assistance in government procurement, manufacturing technology, and helping with loan packaging.
Since 1993, the organization has actively supported the development of affordable housing programs in Lake County, incubating and helping staff both the City of Ronan Housing Authority and the Lake County Community Housing Organization. Those organizations have since spun-off as independent entities located in Ronan, MT.
In 1999, LCCDC, with help from the USDA Rural Cooperative Service program, established a regional Cooperative Development Center to provide technical assistance to businesses and individuals desiring to establish collaborative business ventures.
In 2000, LCCDC developed the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, a food business incubator and processing center located in Ronan, which assists in the development and batch processing for specialty foods and value-added agriculture enterprises as well as regulatory requirements related to food processing.
In 2004, LCCDC was first recognized by the State of Montana as meeting the qualifications for contracting as a Certified Regional Development Corporation (CRDC.) As such, LCCDC also provides outreach services in community and economic development in partnership with other local governments and local development corporations in Mineral and Sanders Counties and the Flathead Indian Reservation known as the Western Rural Development Region.
In 2014, LCDDC was recognized by the US Department of Treasury as a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI). Certification recognizes specialized financial institutions serving low-income communities.
In addition, through our Community Development Center, we have provided technical assistance to and/or helped develop funding for infrastructure projects in Lake, Mineral and Sanders Counties.
Company History
Founded in March 1995 as a 501-C(3) nonprofit organization, Lake County Community Development Corporation (LCCDC) is a regional economic development organization established to provide leadership, community and economic development efforts and to address growth issues as they affect residents, communities and the quality of life in the counties we serve. LCCDC is an active collaborator in economic development efforts in Mineral and Sanders counties and the Flathead Indian Reservation.
LCCDC’s mission is to enhance the quality life and sustainable economic well-being of all residents of the communities we serve. LCCDC operates on a budget of approximately $1.0 million and there is a current staff of 11. If you are an existing business seeking funding for expansion or efficiencies, an entrepreneur with a new business idea, or you are looking for financial support, LCCDC has a strong track record of successful projects, weathering tough times with our clients and providing training and development opportunities to assist them in business decisions.
LCCDC’s Business Development Center staff has provided on-on-one technical assistance in more than 927 one-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs, micro or small business owners during the past five years. Additionally, LCCDC has hosted more than 180 workshops or training events with more than 1885 participants across the tri-county region in that same period. In the past three years, LCCDC has partnered with regional community banks and regional economic development agencies to fund 78 loans totaling $4.9 million, leveraging an additional $8.4 million in federal, state and private dollars. These efforts have created or retained more than 520 jobs across the tri-county region.
LCCDC’s Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center (MMFEC) is a leader in food system and food hub economic development strategies and initiative throughout the state of Montana. The shared –use commercial kitchen and value-added food processing incubator helps food and value added enterprises overcome regulatory barriers; develop and manufacture products for retail markets, and gain market acceptance prior to graduating into their own facility. The facility is USDA, FDA and organically certified. MMFEC provides educational and training resources and opportunities for food and meat processors; helps start-up companies develop marketing and business plans, facilitate labels and process approval through state/county agencies. Over the past five years MMFEC has provided technical assistance to over 220 food businesses resulting in 113 jobs created.
Please visit www.lakecountycdc.org to view our 2012-2017 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region and for more information on LCCDC’s programs.
Notable Products / Brands
Flathead Lake, Mission Mountains
Benefits
This active, flexible work environment is located in Ronan, the heart of the Mission Valley, and just south of Flathead Lake and Glacier Park.