- To be the best online source for customers to quickly and easily find and purchase Montana-made goods directly from the producers.
- To be the most comprehensive resource for information about Made in Montana Producers, Events and News.
- To be the most cost-effective tool available for Montana Manufacturers to market their products online. Why Become a Member?
So What's the Big Idea ?
Several years ago, the folks at Shortgrass Web Development were looking online for Made In
Montana Products to buy. They were shocked to find that there was no comprehensive source for
information about Made in Montana Products or Companies. They had to search company by company
and item by item to find what they were looking for. If it was this hard for a web company to
find Montana-Made Products and gifts, it must be even harder for the average online shopper. The idea for the Made in Montana Catalog was born.
After a year of design and planning, Shortgrass launched MontanaCatalog.com Version 1.0 in the fall
of 2002. Every week sees the addition of more Montana-Made Products and Companies into the Product Catalog
and Business Directory. Now, it is easy to locate and purchase Made in Montana Products and gifts for your sister-in-law
in Seattle or your homesick college student. Far away military recruits can get their fix for huckleberry
syrup, or beef and buffalo jerky. Do you need a custom quilt for your new grandson in Dallas? The Made in Montana
Catalog has many to choose from.
Interviews with Montana Product manufacturers revealed that it is very challenging trying to do
it all as a small producer in a remote state. Not only were product manufacturers looking for help
with marketing, they were looking for better options for shipping, distribution, warehousing, and even
bookkeeping and legal advice. Now that the internet portion of the Made in Montana Catalog has been
launched, we are looking to add additional services as soon as there is demand. We plan to listen to
our dual customer bases--producers and consumers of Made in Montana Products-- to help them decide which
services to roll out next.
For now though, the Made in Montana Catalog is ready to make your Christmas easier. A Lewis and Clark
print can be sent to an uncle in Bozeman, or hand knitted clothing and blankets can sent to an aunt in
New York. We can hardly wait to introduce tourists to this great new resource for Made in Montana Products. |
