Global Recession Comes to Western Montana (1/7/2010)

Smurfit-Stone Smoke stacks are still burning, but this may be the last time the smog cloud is seen.

Back in Fall 2009 Missoula showed only mixed signs of recession. One poll by KPAX asked whether locals would be spending more, the same or less on Christmas presents this year. 64% said that times are tighter than ever and they planned on cutting back. The job trouble we experienced earlier in the year, when several timber mills and log home companies closed up, seemed like a while ago though and recent job data showed that the unemployment rate for the state dropped 6.7% to 6.4%.

When the rest of the country was experiencing massive foreclosures and evictions our real estate business just slowed down, or made the deals a little sweeter for the buyers. Late summer real estate sales had even started to pick up a bit with a few late season sales. On the other hand several licensed real estate agents called it quits, and didn't bother to renew their license.

Thanksgiving came and family got together. Dinners were served, eaten and digested. Shopping commenced. The thought of tough times was on people minds, but it seemed so far away.

Then on Dec 15th the calm was shattered with the announcement of the closing of Smurfit-Stone, the single largest industrial employer in Missoula County. The politicians immediately rushed in to assure the people that everything was okay, and that we'd some how pull through. But people who have lived in the valley most the there lives knew what it meant.

The closing of Stone Container constituted nearly 420 direct jobs, and easily several thousand ancillary support positions like truckers, mechanics, loggers, doctors and just about everyone else in some way shape or form.

The remaining 36% of the population that wasn't tightening there belts before, were now.

Christmas was a tense time for many people. The mood over all was pretty good, until two high school girls were killed by an alleged drunk driver a few days after Christmas. This dark event set a tone that carried over into the New Year.

On Jan 5th 2010, two long time storefronts announced there eminent closure. Macy's in downtown Missoula and Brady's Sportsman's Surplus in Trempers Shopping Center. This double whammy is another in what is starting to look like a very long line of depression style, not recession style job loses.

The future doesn't seem very bright at the moment, and in the dead of winter it only makes it seem that much colder. Spring is only a few months away, hopefully we'll make it.

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