Business

Chamber has new executive director

The Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce has welcomed Leslie Feigel as its new executive director.

Feigel began working at the chamber two years ago as assistant to former Executive Director LouAnne Nelson, who stepped down earlier this year.

Before starting with the chamber, Feigel worked for 23 years in marketing and communications positions for businesses in Montana and California.

In a recent press release, chamber board members said they look forward to continuing to work with Feigel.

KOA set to open for season

The Livingston/ Paradise Valley KOA opens for the summer season May 1.

Originally starting in Billings in 1962, KOA is celebrating its 54th anniversary this year.

“We are very happy to again be offering wonderful camping experiences to this community and its visitors from throughout North America,” said KOA President and CEO Pat Hittmeier in a recent news release. “I know the friendly people in the yellow shirts will be waiting to take care of every need, and provide the Great Outdoors to their guests in the KOA way, just as we have for the past 54 years.”

Edward Jones has second branch in town

Edward Jones has opened a second branch in Livingston. 

The new location is at 227 S. Main Street. The original branch is at 115 W. Callender St.

Stephanie Cunningham is overseeing the new branch, which will continue offering the same accounting services as the original location, a recent Edward Jones news release said.

There will be a grand opening celebration Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

To contact the business, call 222-0200.

From pepperoni to crab rangoon: Pizza restaurant comes to Clyde Park

The small town of Clyde Park now has its own pizza restaurant.

In a place where Rosa’s and Pizza Hut is many miles away, co-owners of Sunnyside Pizza Amy Hukill and Christopher Stone opened their own business offering anywhere from cheese and pepperoni pizzas to some more out-of-the ordinary flavors.

Hukill said she started the business, which opened in January, because not only is the area in need of some more restaurants but she has experience working with pizza and other restaurants in the past.  

Pop Stand south of town reopens as Feed Lot 49 at the Pop Stand

The iconic Pop Stand just south of Livingston will reopen its doors with a new name — Feed Lot 49 at the Pop Stand — and a renovated style.

The restaurant, purchased last fall, will open in May complete with a total change of decorations and a new menu.

Once decorated in a 1950s style, Owner Melissa O’Hair has now transformed the space into a rustic eatery complete with repurposed wood, and black and white photos showing some of Livingston’s most important events from over 100 years ago.

Crust and Crumb Bakery opens in Livingston

A new Livingston bakery takes a farmers market favorite to its own store front.

Crust and Crumb Bakery, located in the Yellowstone Gateway Mall, has classic favorites such as pie, cakes, breakfast and lunch items,including a unique chicken salad recipe and homemade bread.

Crust and Crumb Bakery owners Trish and Wes Kirk have been serving their baked goods to farmers markets and grocery stores in Bozeman and Livingston areas.

Trish Kirk said people had been telling her for the last dozen years to open her own bakery but only now did it seem like the right time.

Livingston’s Firehall Fitness gets a makeover

After buying Firehall Fitness Center last summer, owners Jodi and Charles Hubbell have given the business a fresh coat of paint and several more updates.

In the last couple of months, the couple painted the equipment room in gray, bought new equipment, and removed the carpet, giving the underlying concrete a polished marbled look.

Charles Hubell said that they are spending several thousand dollars on the transformations, but they knew it needed to be done.

Park County’s unemployment rate is at 5.5 percent

Park County’s unemployment rate dropped from last year, while the rate for Montana has stayed the same.

Gov. Steve Bullock’s office released the unemployment rates for Montana showing 4.1 percent unemployment rate, similar to the year before. The U.S. has a slightly higher unemployment rate at 4.9 percent.

Park County’s unemployment rate of 5.5 represents a .9 percent drop from the last year, although it is still higher than the state’s. Of the 56 counties in Montana, Park County ranks 34th in unemployment, tied with Blaine and Sliver Bow counties.

Redevelopment Symposium has big turnout

The annual Park County Redevelopment Symposium was held Wednesday, attracting twice as many business owners and community members as last year’s event.

The symposium, attended by over 100 people, was held at the Livingston Depot Center to discuss redeveloping infrastructure and businesses within the community. Montana State University Extension worked with the city of Livingston and Park County to put together the event.

Company sells lines to fiberglass rod fly fishers

An online company based in Livingston is catering to a specific niche of fly fisherman.

406 Fly Lines markets fly lines for fly fishers who use fiberglass rods.

The company began in 2014 but has started taking off in recent months, according to Tom Brodhead, who owns 406 Fly Lines with his wife, Alexis Brodhead.

The couple started the business after an early retirement from their jobs in New York City.

“We had been fishing here for a long time, so we decided to move here,” Tom Brodhead said.