Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

MISSOULA - Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer stopped in Missoula Tuesday to be caught up on an idea to bring money into Montana's economy from other countries.

ALPS President and CEO Robert Minto, told the Governor about the plan to start an EB 5 Regional Center in Montana. There are currently hundreds of EB 5 centers across the US. They take investments from citizens in other countries and match them with projects that need funding in the local economy.

"As we attract new capital to Montana, we create new jobs in Montana, so new capital new jobs, good for Montana," said Schweitzer.

Montana's EB 5 center would help boost the local economy and would also fund the projects that need funding, and then find the investors. The foreign investors then get US green cards for their contribution to Montana.

"It provides an opportunity for us to move the economy forward and to diversify, and that means jobs and that means people being back to work sooner than later," said State Sen. Dave Wanzenried.

Wanzenried has been working with ALPS on the project. He told us this is one of the single best ideas he has come across this year and maybe even this decade.

Rober Minto says the center wouldn't cost Montana anything. He says it would help fund projects that would usually be shelved for lack of funding. Minto hopes to have the first projects funded by late 2011 or early 2012.