About Made in Montana

History

Made in Montana is a "Value-Added Marketing Program."

Montana's concept of value-added manufacturing and marketing first came about only 27 years after becoming a state. In 1916, the Montana Daily Record newspaper reported that "Made in Montana is a forward movement" and that thousands of people were falling in line to learn about making and buying value-added products and what that means for local businesses.

Citizens wanted to know what was being made in their state and manufacturers needed to get the word out that they were "producing pretty much nearly everything that you use." A new movement in the territory was afloat. Each manufacturer who was interested in being "notably identified with the movement" would display the new logo "Associated Made in Montana Advertisers." The young State of Montana wanted folks to know what was being manufactured and produced and how and where you could purchase those products. This was the impetus behind Made in Montana/Grown in Montana.

The Montana Department of Commerce created the Made in Montana (MiM)/Grown in Montana (GiM) Program in 1984 to assist the marketing efforts of Montana residents producing products, which are made within the state.

The program's website came online in September of 2001 and the Online Products Directory followed in October of 2002.

The program currently serves over 2,700 manufacturers, producers and entrepreneurs.

Services

Department of Commerce coordinates the program in the following ways:

• Counsels the MiM/GiM producers and manufacturers in their marketing efforts.
• Indirectly promotes businesses by advertising the program.
• Publishes the Online Products Directory. This directory lists all of the program participants and retailers who are interested in selling their products (if applicable) with direct links to their website. The Online Products Directory also displays up to six color product images.
• A variety of full-color logo products.
• A printing contractor who has the exclusive right to reproduce and sell the logo labels for the program, of which a percentage of the proceeds is reinvested into the program. (Working with an exclusive contractor helps to maintain the integrity of the program.)

Advantage

• The program gives Montana products an extra boost through indirect advertising.
• The Made in Montana/Grown in Montana logos have proven to enhance sales both in-state and, more so, out-of-state.