Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Montana Business Quarterly Issue

Volume 49, Number 4, Winter

The first decade of the 21st century offered polar opposites in terms of market conditions for Montana's forest products industry. Of the major industries in Montana, none was impacted more by the recession than the forest products industry.

High energy prices and a growing recognition of the intrinsic value provided by a clean environment have resulted in businesses and consumers going "green" to minimize environmental damage and reduce energy costs.

As the economic downturn leads large corporations to freeze hiring and forces many mom-and-pop shops to close their doors, some growing companies are adding employees, expanding facilities, and raking in reveues at an impressive pace.

When traveling across Montana, one often sees bumper stickers proclaiming the driver is a native Montanan. In some counties, most people at gatherings are native Montanans, but in other counties natives are a rare event.