Governor & First Lady Gianforte support local education & jobs with Yellowstone County events

Governor Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte spent a busy day in Yellowstone County on Wednesday, attending events to promote education and celebrate new business ventures.

YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte spent a busy day in Yellowstone County on Wednesday, attending events to promote education and celebrate new business ventures.

At Roundup Elementary School, Gianforte celebrated the school’s partnership with Marketplace for Kids. The program promotes hands-on learning and career exploration in technology and entrepreneurship.

“​​Susan and I were glad to join the Roundup Elementary School Panthers to kick off the first Marketplace for Kids Education Day event in Montana and encourage students to dream big as they think about their future careers,” said Governor Gianforte.

Marketplace for Kids, founded in 1995, helps students explore innovation, problem solving, and creativity through project-based learning.

Later, in Billings, the governor helped inaugurate the new Ultimate Defense Technologies headquarters and production facility. The UK-based company, which develops weapon safety systems, decided to open a second location in Montana after attending the SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

At the event, UDT co-founder Neil Oakshott emphasized the need for gun safety following personal experiences and cited accidental shootings and suicides as motivating factors. The company developed a locking system that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for secure gun access.

Governor Gianforte noted the economic potential of the new facility.

“They’re gonna hire up to 89 people in the next couple of years. They’re a great manufacturer in the firearms and accessories industry. We recruited them in the SHOT Show in Las Vegas last year. They had been operating in Arizona, but when we pitched Montana, they said we want to make it our home,” Gianforte said.

Oakshott also highlighted the company’s commitment to providing job opportunities for veterans and those with special needs. They also plan to offer an apprenticeship program for teens.

Ultimate Defense Technologies expands Montana’s robust firearms and ammunition manufacturing sector, which leads the nation in such businesses per capita.

In other news in Billings, First Lady Susan Gianforte, in collaboration with the United Way of Yellowstone County, announced the United Way as the local program partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This nonprofit program boosts early childhood literacy by offering free, high-quality books to children in Montana.

“It is my pleasure to welcome United Way as our local program partner in Yellowstone County,” First Lady Gianforte said. “Their deep knowledge of the community, expertise in early literacy, and commitment to addressing the needs in Yellowstone County make them a valuable partner who will help put more books in the hands of Montana children.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides a free book each month to any child in Montana aged 0 to 5 years who is registered with the organization. In June 2023, First Lady Gianforte joined Dolly Parton to announce the statewide expansion of this program, which now serves over 24,000 children across the state.