(upbeat techno and guitar music) - [Julie Magnuson] Today, on Business Made in Montana, we introduce you to more companies that call Montana home, create interesting and unique products, hire Montana workers, and keep state economy rolling.

We're crossing Big Sky Country to tell you the story of Business Made in Montana.

- [Student] This University of Montana School of Journalism student production is made possible with support from the Greater Montana Foundation.

The Greater Montana Foundation benefits the people of Montana by encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to present and future generations of Montanans.

And by the University of Montana.

Welcome to Business Made in Montana.

I'm Julie Magnuson and today, we'll bring you the stories of businesses making it work here in Montana.

The desire to build a better, more affordable bicycle and to do it right here in the Bitterroot Valley, led an ambitious group to start Bitterroot Cycles in Hamilton.

- So, I first moved to the area in 2007, and at the time, didn't fully appreciate everything that it had to offer, but as I came and left the area over a number of years following that, I really found the value and really appreciated just the mountains and the instant access to everything that there is to do.

If you're a hiker, biker, if you like to fish, if you like to climb, it's all in your backyard.

And the quality of life is just so much greater.

- My name is Chad Devall.

We're sitting in here at the Red Barn Bicycle Shop here in Hamilton, Montana.

Started the Red Barn about 18-19 years ago, and the mountains here are beautiful, they're rugged, it's amazing singletrack, and we've got a bunch of mountain bikes that do really well on that type of terrain.

The last couple years we started kind of a new endeavor and started manufacturing steel frames, titanium frames, and we're like, wow, we've got a welder.

- My name is Dave Norton.

- Now, we got a bike designer.

- Hi, my name is Chris Rector.

- We got a bunch of guys that like to ride bikes.

So, it's Bitterroot Cycles.

We have the two models.

This is the, we call it the Weasel.

Basically meant for like singletrack riding, trail riding, very, very fun bicycle to ride.

And the other ones are the Beaver.

Both of 'em have very unique names to them.

They are kind of, we got our inspiration from certain drainages coming out of the Sapphire Mountain Range, which is to our east over here.

- We're trying to target the folks that may not have the big budget to work with, so being able to get into a fun bike that has multiple options for wheel sizes, tires sizes, at a base price that's pretty low, just seems to be not really recognized across the board.

- So much of the product is coming to us from overseas, Asian markets, so it's just kinda nice to be able to do a) the bike that you want, b) make it right underneath your own roof, and it actually being like super high quality, really enjoyable stuff to work with.

- My background is as a mechanical engineer.

I'm also designing custom equipment, so when Chad and I started talking about doing a bike of our own, that definitely fit into the design aspect and having the tools and resources to help put something together.

So, we usually start with kind of a brainstorming session on what is it that we want the bike to do, how do we want it to ride, and then from there, I'll take those inputs and go through a couple of iterations on my own of what I think the bike should be, and then I'll do kind of a concept sketch, that I'll bring back to the group, and we'll do a little review session, just trying to make sure our first effort is the best effort that we can make.

And that's kinda where the hand-off goes from myself to the fella that fabricates, Dave, and he takes paper and turns it into steel.

- Pickin' tubes, that's kinda where ya start.

You gather all your tubes for the cycle, dropouts, head tube, all your little odds and ends, cable guides.

Once you get all your main tubes together, then we set up our mill and we'll go ahead and make our notches in tubes, check 'em for fit on our fixture, and from there, once you have things kinda cut the way you like it, things are fitting, then clean the inside outside, do your weld prep, then it goes straight to alignment, gets checked in alignment, and from there, it gets the seal of approval once it's good, and then, the customer's name, out the door it goes to get powdercoated, and yeah.

- The next thing you know, Dave's got, ya know, this, which was, at first, a CAD drawing on a piece of paper, now it's a real thing.

And then we generally take it, put it in one of our repair stands, and throw 47, 50 different parts on it, and some wheels and a chain and go try it out.

And that's part of the whole testing process, it's a fun part of the process, as well.

(tires hitting gravel) (bike tires spinning) - The vision is great.

The product is great.

The bike is great.

All the feedback that we've gotten, it's just helped spur it on even more.

- Our bikes meet our criteria.

I don't think we're designing to somebody else's criteria.

Our bikes are a little heavier than what some people are looking for, but that being said, you can go out and beat on 'em all day long, and they'll be ready for another ride tomorrow.

And that's what I think the Bitterroot Mountains brought to it.

We designed for the mountains.

(upbeat guitar music) - [Julie] To find out more about these Bitterroot Valley- produced bicycles, go to bitterrootcycles.com.

Our next Made in Montana company has grown for many reasons.

Energy efficiency, emergency housing, and the minimalist movement.

From eco-built homes in Billings to other businesses across the state, tiny houses are fitting the needs of more people all the time.

- For me personally, the transition to move to 240 square feet was not very hard.

We did have to pare down, though, a little bit, and we got rid of a few things, but right now, we have what we need and it we wanna pick up and go, we're not stranded.

- I had the same American dream that kind of everyone else does, to get a little more stuff and a little bit bigger house, and bigger everything.

And I joined the service right out of high school, and so I had the money, but I didn't have any bills, so every time I moved, my place got a little bigger, I got a little more stuff.

You get emotionally attached to stuff that's stuff, ya know?

So all of the sudden, like your stuff owns you instead of you owning your stuff.

We actually end up living with our other roommate.

He got a little--it was basically a studio but it had a door so they called it a one-bedroom.

There was three adults, a kid, and at one point, six cats, but it was just like that close proximity where we actually sat down and ate together.

Instead of, hey look, my big-screen TV and my sound system.

I'm gonna eat here, ya know?

And just like that separation, all of the sudden, everyone was like together, and for that one month, it was like that realization of, like, I don't need any of this crap.

- My background is as an educator.

My wife is a vet tech.

We were paying over $1000 a month for rent, and it just wasn't adding up based on our income.

It was actually my wife that got online and she found this company, Eco-Built Homes, here in Billings, Montana.

So, at Eco-Built Homes, our houses range from 200 square feet all the way up to 600 square feet.

So, some consider our houses tiny or small, but we like to look at it as energy-efficient.

- I'm Mark Trepanier and the project I'm currently working on is trying to get a tiny house community here in Missoula.

The major thing is trying to get affordable housing, 'cause right now, the housing cost is just ridiculous here for anyone trying to buy a house.

So there's several different tiny home manufacturers already here, so we'll be partnering with them, plus producing some other ones, like cob houses.

- My name's Ben Hahn.

I am the Director of Sales and Marketing for Eco-Built Homes.

One of our big focuses this year at Eco-Built Homes is developing a subdivision here in the Billings area.

We could potentially have 44 lots here by the end of the year available specifically for Eco-Built Homes and houses that are under 600 square feet.

So, our company founder has lived in Billings and spent a lot of time, raised his family here in Billings.

Billings was the logical place to start this company because that's where he lived, that's where his family's at.

We've also found that Billings is an amazing place and the state of Montana is also an amazing place to do business, because I think people in Montana appreciate quality craftsmanship.

They also appreciate the independence of having your own place and being able to take your house anywhere that you wanted.

Those concepts are really easily understood by Montanans.

The other thing I like about doing business here in Montana is there's a lot of really great workers here that have very exceptional skill sets.

- On the business side, it would be, we're so down to Earth.

That's what I love about doing business here is, I can go to the bar, you can either do business in the bar or you do business on the golf course.

I suck at golf, so I go to the bar.

Everyone's dressed the same, we're all drinking the same beer, it's just we're all down to Earth and we just kinda wanna move forward, and so, I love Missoula.

And to be here in Montana, it's just like, eh, what do ya need?

What do you need to get worked on?

What do you need help with?

And so, I love doing business here.

(upbeat rock music) - [Julie] To find out more about living tiny in a big way, go to ecobuilthomes.com.

Like many, our next Montana company is very passionate about being made in the U.S.A.

What's more U.S.A.

than White Sulphur Springs?

Red Ants Pants has uplifted the community with a growing music festival, and it is the first company dedicated to making women's work clothing.

- So, I chose White Sulphur Springs because I was looking for a small, authentic ranching town in rural Montana.

And I had just read Ivan Doig's memoir, "This House of Sky."

And he grew up here in White Sulphur, and it sounded like a great town.

I came and visited one time, found this old historic saddle shop for sale, and I dove in.

That was almost 12 years ago, which is hard to believe.

It's just a wonderful community and they really welcomed me in, and I've gotten to know the people and the place and it just fits.

It's suits who I am and where I wanna be in the world.

And it also really ties into the culture of our brand with the company.

So, my name is Sarah Calhoun and I'm the founding owner of Red Ants Pants, the first-ever company dedicated to making workwear for women.

And we're based here in White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

Moved to Bozeman, Montana in 2004 and got the idea of starting the company and had a very fateful meeting of a fellow when I was reading my "How to Start a Business for Dummies" book in downtown Bozeman.

Very first weekend in town and this guy noticed the book and we got to talking and it turned out for the past 20 years, he had done production and design for a little company called Patagonia.

So, he was a great connection and he's on my Board of Advisors to this day.

Got rolling, learning everything I possibly could about the apparel industry and product and design and manufacturing and business management, and moved up to White Sulphur in '05, and opened the doors in 2006, to Red Ants Pants.

So, we have our storefront here, which is also our international headquarters, and we fulfill online orders all around the world, from right here.

So, this is all of our inventory and this is where we manage the company and also have this retail storefront.

So, about, at this point, it used to be a lot more sales, the percentage-wise, were online, and now it's transitioning to, I think up to 43% of our sales are right here in the store, so people are doing a lot destination trips to come to this great little town and check it out.

After about five years in business, we decided that it was time to bring people together to celebrate on a larger scale and music is an incredible tool to do that, just to bring people in.

Decided to have a music festival, didn't really know that industry either and had a lot to learn, but it ended up being a really good thing for the town and for the whole company and, again, the culture of the brand.

And we had 6000 people come for the first festival in 2011, and this past year, we had 16,000 come.

So, we've been growing tremendously, but it's still a really feel-good event, very family-friendly, and it all is a fundraiser for our non-profit, which is the Red Ants Pants Foundation.

We try to keep everything as regional and local as possible, for sure.

All of our products are made in America.

Our belts, the leatherwork is all done right here in White Sulphur, as well as our aprons.

And we're working on getting some of our vests produced locally, as well.

- My name is Kathleen Hochstrat.

I've been making the Red Ants Pants belts for Sarah, I'm thinking about nine years.

She came to me and wanted to know if I could come up with a belt and so between us, we came up with this design.

I had been buying the belt strips rather than a whole side of leather because I ended up with way too much waste and unusable parts.

I measure them and cut off the ends so that they're the right size.

They have to be wet in order to press the ants and the Red Ant stamp, Red Ants Pants label, into them, and them I press the ants in, the Red Ants Pants stamp, and I put on my maker's mark, which is the KP bar, which is my brand.

Then, that has to be allowed to dry.

They have to be completely dry before I handpaint each individual ant, and then, hopefully, they're made right.

- So, the things that keep me here in White Sulphur, it's the community and the people, and the grit and the work ethic, and this sense of place here in rural Montana.

I think there's so much potential for small business in these types of places.

We have the historic buildings and the low cost of living and quality of life and I've found where I wanna be and there's just so much potential for business here.

(upbeat rock music) - [Julie] To find out about all the things that Red Ants Pants is involved with, go to redantspants.com.

Okay, so you love doughnuts, but you're vegan and gluten-free?

Tandem Doughnuts, here in Missoula, can fill that need.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a finer doughnut peddler with a delicious choice in tandem with a healthy one.

- We've had a couple of people that have actually broken out in tears 'cause they say it has been so many years since they'd had a doughnut 'cause they've been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and it just completely changed their life.

Those are the moments that, you know, make you feel pretty proud of what you're doing and happy that you can help people.

- Tandem Bakery is a vegan and gluten-free wholesale and we have a stand at the farmers' market bakery in Missoula, Montana.

We mostly do doughnuts, but we also do breads and English muffins and other baked goods.

- My name is David Tyson.

I am the co-owner of Tandem Doughnuts.

My wife and I own it together, hence, co-owner.

Her name is Beth, Beth Gherlein.

She's vegan, and our first year here, she wanted a doughnut, sort of at random, and could not find one.

It was not super late, but late enough that none of the like real cafes were open anyways.

The only place that we could find a doughnut was at the grocery store, and, ya know, she's vegan, she can't eat dairy, not just like she doesn't want to, but like, she can't eat dairy, so that wasn't really even a possibility, and the more people that we kept talking to, asking where can we find a doughnut, much less a vegan one, they'd say, yeah, there used to be a doughnut shop but not anymore, but you should start one.

You should start one.

That kind of propelled us to giving the market a shot, and the Clark Fork Farmers' Market a shot.

And it sort of grew from there.

If I were to characterize what that whole process has been like, I would say it's probably been alternating bouts of insane excitement and just overwhelming love for the town in which we live.

- I think Missoula's an interesting location because it's a tourist destination for national parks and it's also kinda a big population center in western Montana, so, it's really in a good position to become a food destination for people, too.

And so I think that anything, ya know, giving people more choices, in general, I think is a great idea, but as the food scene expands, having more options for people with dietary restrictions, I think can only help the community, in terms of drawing people in.

We like to use produce that we get at the farmers' market, so local stuff.

A lot of times during the farmers' market season, we try to have weekly specials that are based on whatever is happening in the growing season at that time.

So, we've done lots of different fruits, but lavender-lemon is a big, popular one.

- We don't really see ourselves as competing with any other bakery in town, which is great because we totally feel like Missoula is the kind of place, and Montana is, ya know, full of towns like this, where you can have a series of businesses that are all sort of supporting each other, and creating community to draw people to their businesses so that a rising tide raises all boats.

And I feel like that is one of the biggest things about being a Montana business that I really like is sort of due out of the necessity created by the land, really, I mean, it's isolated, you have to reach out to your neighbors to survive, in a way.

- David and I, just as business owners, are really interested--we wanna own a business that we feel good about, that we feel like it's a force for good in the community.

So, we interested in sourcing as many local ingredients as possible and thinking about what goes into our product and also, in terms of how we conduct business.

So, yeah, just beyond being a bakery, we want to be a business in Missoula that is a force for good, is doing good for employees and also for the larger business community.

(upbeat rock music) - [Julie] To find out more about their gluten-free and vegan baked goods, go to tandemdoughnuts.com.

Since 1929, our next Made in Montana company has been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking advances in fly fishing.

With a true passion to do things the right way, the R.L.

Winston Fly Rod Company in Twin Bridges refuses to compromise.

- [Unidentified Man] There can be fine lines that distinguish a good rod from a great rod, and a great rod from an exceptional rod.

And we always aspire to have that exceptional category.

- I'm Annette McLean, here at the Winston Rod Company.

I've been with the Winston Company for 32, 33 years.

Right now, I'm the head product development and designer for the fly rods.

My name's Adam Hutcheson and I currently work marketing, pro services, and customer service for Winston Rods.

- My name's Jeffrey McGowan and I'm the sales and marketing manager at Winston.

- We're here in the middle of the Winston Rod Company, a company that was started in 1929 in San Francisco, California.

In the mid-seventies, the company was moved to Montana by Tom Morgan, who owned the company at that time.

Tom, having grown up in Montana, had a special affection for the waters of Montana.

So, in moving the company into the Twin Bridges, Montana area, he accomplished several things for the company.

He began to put a face on the company in terms of a basic philosophy of rod design development, as well as the fishing expectations of these rods.

We have a staff on board here that's widely experienced in so many different aspects of rod design and development, as well as marketing and sales.

So, we control everything right here in little Twin Bridges, Montana.

I came to Montana just because of the opportunities here.

The fishing opportunities being my greatest influencer.

It has everything that I love, from fishing, hunting, hiking, and everything else in between.

It's really an amazing state and it's definitely where I wanna be and that's where my family and I have found ourselves.

- [Jeffrey McGowan] So, everything takes place here.

We receive the material and it goes through the entire process to become the final product that we put into the market.

On any one of our rods, we will use up to four different composite materials.

This allows up to design tapers and actions that contribute to what the market knows is the Winston feel, which is a progressive action rod with a soft tip to a very powerful butt section, creating a very wide range of applications in which the rod is gonna succeed.

We use a material called boron.

It's only used in a few other industries.

Boron is actually an element, but the way that it's composed in this material is actually tungsten wires measured down to 3/1000 of an inch.

And it goes through a process, gets rolled under a sheet that comes out very similar to that of graphite.

That material gets applied to our butt section and it acts like a turbo would in a car, giving additional energy throughout the rest of the conventional graphite.

Process begins in the cutting room, where we cut all of our patterns by hand.

We cut our patterns down to the thirty-second of an inch for a very fine quality control.

From there, the patterns are moved down through the rolling room, in which case they will get applied to a mandrel, rolled, taped, go into an oven for a particular period of time and temperature, come out, sanded, and then you will have your ready-to-roll blank.

So, once the blank is complete, it goes into our paint room, and this is a proprietary process for us.

Winston has a legacy of just a beautifully aesthetically- pleasing rod, and a lot comes from our Winston emerald green.

So, that process, we keep proprietary and as that point, though once the rod is finished and has a clear coat applied, it will then go into the ferruling process and start to be made into a full, complete rod.

Each rod is gonna go through its own ferruling section.

So, each rod is custom-ferruled to itself.

That means that each Winston is gonna achieve thoroughness in the ferrules for ultimate transfer of energy and for a smooth, lively feel.

We have a very hands-on process here at Winston.

In order to achieve the tolerances and quality and performance and thoroughness of the product, it goes through a multitude of hands, and each employee, throughout this process is exceptional at what they do and they're entitled at any point, that if they don't approve of a product, to disperse of it and create a new product, so that we can assure by the time a product is finished, that it is 100% beautiful, ready-to-go Winston fly rod.

- In terms of developing a fly rod, it's long been the philosophy of this company to develop rods that are designed specifically for fly fishing application.

Having a company sitting on the banks of the Beaver Head River really blends well in developing those rods whose performance are nearly unparalleled out on the water.

(upbeat rock music) - [Julie] If you want to out-cast, out-fish, and out-perform with quality fly rods, go to winstonrods.com for more information.

Well, that's our program.

We hope you've enjoyed meeting the interesting people and businesses that help our diverse and evolving Montana economy.

On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Montana School of Journalism, thanks for watching Business Made in Montana.

I'm Julie Magnuson.

This University of Montana School of Journalism student production is made possible with support from the Greater Montana Foundation.

The Greater Montana Foundation benefits the people of Montana by encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to present and future generations of Montanans.

And, by the University of Montana.

(upbeat rock music)