Gov. Greg Gianforte joined Janicki Industries leadership to break ground on the company’s $800 million, 1.6 million-square-foot manufacturing campus in Great Falls, marking the formal start of what is expected to become one of the largest private investments in Montana’s recent history.
The ceremony brought together Janicki leadership, state and local officials, and members of the Great Falls community. Rather than a traditional shovel ceremony, brothers John and Peter Janicki — the company’s president and CEO, respectively — climbed into the cabs of two Caterpillar excavators and moved the first earth themselves. Speakers at the event included Gov. Gianforte, Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves and Great Falls Development Authority President and CEO Brett Doney. Congressman Troy Downing also attended.
“Montana is open for business, and we were proud to work with our local partners to attract a job creator like Janicki Industries, which chose Montana among many other states for its next major expansion,” Gianforte said. “Through its $800 million investment, Janicki will unlock a brighter future for over 2,000 Montanans in a good-paying job, inspire innovation, strengthen our economy, and support the growing community of Great Falls for years to come.”
Construction is expected to begin in earnest July 13, with John Janicki saying the site would see significant activity almost immediately. The 180-acre campus is located within the AgriTech Park and will expand Janicki’s capabilities in advanced composites, precision machining and metal fabrication to serve aerospace, defense and space customers. The first phase of the campus is expected to open by the end of 2027, with the full buildout adding up to 2 million square feet of production space over the next decade.
Janicki expects to create more than 1,000 jobs within the first five years, with total employment exceeding 2,000 once the campus is complete. John Janicki said he expects 85% to 90% of the campus workforce to come from Montanans already living in the state. The company plans to partner with Montana universities on internships and workforce development and to recruit transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses.
Janicki Industries is a privately owned company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Sedro-Woolley, Wash. It currently operates more than 1 million square feet of facilities across Washington and Utah, employing more than 2,000 people, and is one of the largest privately owned Tier 1 aerospace suppliers in the United States.
John Janicki, in announcing the site selection last month, noted that his company’s footprint in Washington has slowed due to what he described as increasing regulations and a lack of business understanding at the state’s executive and legislative level, adding that conditions in Washington make it difficult for employees to achieve the American Dream and for the company to invest in local growth.
The Great Falls campus was chosen over competing sites in Idaho following a multi-month evaluation process. Cascade County, the City of Great Falls, the Great Falls Development Alliance, local schools, state officials and military leadership all played roles in bringing the project to Montana. Great Falls commissioners earlier approved a tax abatement for the company as part of the recruitment effort.