Daily Archives: January 11, 2025

Business Briefcase: Mergers, tax advice, child care grants

Silverman merges with law firmSilverman Law Office has merged with Josephson Law Firm in Big Timber, saying the move enhances the resources and capabilities of both firms to better serve clients.Silverman Law is licensed to practice in Montana, Washington, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas.

Joel Silverman, Silverman Law Firm

Silverman Law Firm

Founded in 1962 by Richard W. “Dick” Josephson, Josephson Law Firm remained a family-owned practice under his son, Attorney R. Mark Josephson. The firm has received the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell. The Best Lawyers in America named Mark as Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate for the Billings area in 2022. Mark will continue serving clients from the Big Timber office as part of the Silverman Law Office team.“By joining forces with Silverman Law Office, I can continue delivering the personalized attention my clients value while accessing the resources and expertise of a larger firm,” Josephson said. “This merger provides for a vaster client service capacity and allows us to take on new clients.”

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Mark Josephson

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Founded in 2012 by attorney Joel Silverman, Silverman Law Office has served more than 7,000 clients from its offices in Helena and Bozeman. The firm specializes in estate planning, tax law, business law, real estate, liquor and gaming law, probate and litigation, among other practice areas. With the addition of Mark Josephson, Silverman Law Office now has a team of nine attorneys across Montana.“We are thrilled to welcome Mark Josephson and his team to Silverman Law Office,” Silverman said. “Mark’s extensive experience, particularly in estate and real property law, combined with the long-standing reputation of Josephson Law Firm, makes this partnership a natural fit. This merger allows us to expand our footprint while maintaining the high standards of client service that both firms are known for.”For more information, visit www.mttaxlaw.com or call Silverman Law Office at 406-449-4829.Stockman joins with JacobyStockman Insurance has merged with Jacoby Insurance Group, a health and benefits agency based in Helena.Jacoby Insurance Group focuses on life and health insurance, offering Medicare insurance health plans, life and disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, small group employer insurance and property & casualty insurance. The merger was completed as of Jan. 1.

Vice President and General Manager KC Keith says the merger is transformational for Stockman Insurance, allowing the agency to expand its services and enter the insurance benefits arena.“By offering health and benefits solutions, we enhance our ability to provide comprehensive insurance products to all Montanans,” Keith said in a news release.All Jacoby Insurance Group employees have been offered employment with Stockman Insurance.Meg Jacoby, owner and lead agent, will be joining Stockman Insurance to lead the new health and benefits department.“My entire staff and I have worked very hard for many years to set a gold standard for providing help, guidance, and advice for our clients navigating the complicated world of health insurance,” said Jacoby.Stockman Insurance is a Montana-owned and operated insurance agency.Revenue offers business tax adviceThe Montana Department of Revenue recently notified business owners with a business equipment reporting requirement, that it is time to report for Tax Year 2025.Individuals and businesses owning business equipment (as of Jan. 1) with an aggregate market value of more than $1 million statewide must report the equipment owned by March 1 to avoid a 20% penalty.

Montana Department of Revenue

Dylan Brown, Independent Record

Businesses whose statewide market value of equipment is $1 million or less are exempt from the business equipment tax. These businesses do not have a reporting requirement in 2025 unless: (1) they have acquired new personal property that would increase their equipment’s aggregate market value above the exemption amount; or (2) the department requests a personal property reporting form be completed.Business owners can report online using the department’s TransAction Portal (TAP) at https://tap.dor.mt.gov. Online reporting forms are pre-populated with the business equipment reported in 2024. Owners will review the previously reported assets and make any needed additions and deletions.An immediate confirmation receipt will be sent after the report is submitted.For more information, visit MTRevenue.gov or contact us at 406-444-6900 or [email protected] program offers grants The Montana Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for over $3 million in federal funding available through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program.The purpose of the SCBG program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Montana. Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, peas, lentils, dried fruits, as well as horticulture, nursery crops and floriculture. State and/or local organizations, government entities, producer associations, academia, community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations and other specialty crop stakeholders are eligible to apply either as single entities or in combined efforts.Eligible projects include improving efficiency and sustainability of specialty crop industries, research, education, developing new and improved varieties, improving the capacity of the distribution chain, and enhancing food safety, pest and disease control. For a complete list of guidelines and eligibility requirements, please visit: agr.mt.gov/SpecialtyCropBlockGrants.Grant proposals are due to the Montana Department of Agriculture by 5 p.m. on Feb. 28. Technical assistance calls will be held on Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. and Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. For more information, please visit agr.mt.gov/SpecialtyCropBlockGrants or email [email protected] more information on department programs and services, visit agr.mt.gov.State offers child care grantsZero to Five Montana, in partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five program, is offering a one-time grant opportunity for Montana employers through the Family Forward Montana initiative to develop an employer-sponsored child care program.The program is to implement a child care strategy reflective of the goals of the employer that is sustainable and creates cost sharing between the employee, employer and the state.Grants will range from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on the size and scope of the employer’s project plan. Grant funding will total $2 million to be awarded in two cohorts over 2024 and 2025. Data collected from this pilot will help with future public private partnerships.Child Care in HelenaThis initiative aims to:Build awareness of Montana’s growing child care needs and the critical role employers play in helping to address it.Educate employers and community organizations on employer-supported child care models, including those that apply to individual employers, groups of employers and/or nonprofit community-based organizations acting on behalf of a group of employers.Create and advance locally driven solutions that increase child care access and support working Montana families.Employers can apply at https://familyforwardmt.org/grant. The deadline for applications is Feb. 7 with final decisions and employer notification no later than Feb. 28.There is a Lunch & Learn webinar scheduled for noon on Jan. 17 where employers can get more information. Register online at: https://go.helenair.com/3fiz9i.
Submissions to Business Briefcase should be emailed to [email protected]. Please write “Business Briefcase” in the subject line. Briefs should be 200 words or less. Submissions should be written in story form, no flyers please. Photos are always appreciated. Call Phil Drake at 406-447-4086 if you have questions.Have a new business? Tell us about it! Give us the name, address, hours, phone number and photo, if possible. Email [email protected]. Please put “New business” in the subject line.

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Greenhouse in Weyers Cave hopes to grow business

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WEYERS CAVE — During the winter at a greenhouse outside the town of Weyers Cave, tiny seedlings sleep under plastic boxes, and older plants lie dormant until the springtime. Everything seems to be waiting for April — and so are the greenhouse’s owners.Mary Jane Martin and her business partner Jay Painter of Chinquapin Ridge Farms grow flowers, herbs and vegetables at Heritage Acres Greenhouse. During their opening season, from April to mid-June, they sell seedlings, potted plants and starter plants of all kinds.“We started out doing basically vegetables, herbs, and annual and perennial flowers,” Martin said. “Since then, we’ve added some house plants and a number of succulents, as well as the gift shop.”
Martin bought the greenhouses in 2020 after wanting the location for several years but not being in a position to afford it. The place has been around for many years and has gone through several owners.Until 2024, when she partnered with Painter, Martin said it was a struggle to run the greenhouse herself. Some of the plants are finicky and must be checked multiple times daily.“It’s a constant worry for if something fails and, say, the heater doesn’t cut on and the temperature drops and freezes the plants,” Painter said.When it opened in 2021, the greenhouse was called Valley Roots. Martin originally ran the greenhouse with her son, but after he left the business — and with the addition of a gift shop in 2022 — Martin changed the name to Heritage Acres Greenhouse, Gifts & More. In 2024, she partnered with Painter and widely expanded the variety of plants on offer.“We’ve partnered up this year to try and grow Heritage Acres and get more people coming in and offer different things,” Painter said. “So last year, we started offering asparagus root, seed potatoes, onion sets, onion plants, and it seemed like we were the only place that had sweet potato slips.”Sweet potato slips, or seedlings, were one of the greenhouse’s bestsellers last year.“Last year, people came from hours away for sweet potato slips,” Painter said.The small gift shop at the front of the property is open during the greenhouse’s off-season, though it’s more of a passion project than an income source.
The gift shop is open during greenhouse hours, but during the off-season — which is most of the year — it is open only on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. It sells handmade soap, hand-painted aprons, figurines, and other goods made by local artisans, from consignments, or picked up by Martin.“We’re trying to get the gift shop more to locally made stuff,” Martin said. “We recently added a refrigerator in there. Open Doors, who we’ve partnered with, is milking some of our cows, doing herd shares, and making cheese.”Also in the gift shop is a mural painted by Pennsylvania artist Verna Lauver, who is Mary Jane Martin’s mother. The mural features lilacs growing up on a trellis surrounded by black-eyed Susans. Lauver also painted some rocks that are sold in the gift shop.While both co-owners have alternate streams of income, such as livestock farming and electrical work, they are both dedicated to improving the greenhouses and attracting new customers. Though the business is expanding in some ways, Martin and Painter have had a difficult time attracting customers to their out-of-the-way location.“We’re not as popular as we’re hoping to be someday,” Martin said. “It’s been kind of slow because we’re back off the main road. We’re trying to grow this business, we’re trying to capitalize on unique plants and medicinal herbs, and we’re starting to work on microgreens as well.”Martin and Painter are already growing some medicinal herbs, like dandelion, clover, yarrow and ashwagandha. They plan to sell these at the greenhouse for the first time this year.One of their greenhouses is too rundown to grow plants in, with holes in its plastic top. Martin and Painter hope to refurbish it and turn it into an event space to attract more people to the location.“What we kind of envision is covering it with a solid color plastic and using it for gardening classes and different things,” Painter said.“Community events, maybe like a farmers market, or some kind of movie night,” Martin added. “If we ever get it functional, to where we can control the climate, we have all kinds of great ideas.”To contact Heritage Acres Greenhouse, Gifts & More, call 504-810-4062. The greenhouse’s address is 8089 Greenhouse Road, Weyers Cave, VA, 24486. Right now, in the off-season, the gift shop is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 

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