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Jordan and the surrounding expanse of range land is still very much cowboy country and the place retains an Old West flavor. Agriculture still plays a major role in Jordan's economy.  Farms and ranches cover a majority of the vast landscape of Garfield County.

While agriculture is a mainstay of the region, tourism is increasing in popularity.  Garfield County has many opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping, and boating.  Hell Creek State Park, which provides access to Fort Peck Lake, is 26 miles North of Jordan.  Also, the Charles M. Russell Wildlife, which surrounds Fort Peck Lake in a 200-mile-long strip is nearby.  Wildlife abounds out there; antelope, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, sage grouse and numerous waterfowl make these wildlands their home.

In addition, the terrain between Jordan and Circle is famous amongst paleontologists for its fantastic fossil beds. Dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures once roamed here. In 1904, Tyrannosaurus Rex was discovered near Jordan in the Hell Creek Formation.  World renowned paleontologists visit our area every summer in search of more Cretaceous treasures.  Visitors can glimpse area history and fossil exhibits at the Garfield County Museum.

Source: www.visitmt.com and
             www.garfieldcounty.com

Along with its prime location, Jordan offers many business attractions:

• Available Workforce
• Telecommunications
• Tax Advantages
• Organized Economic Development Efforts
• Accessibility
• Municipal Services and Facilities

Jordan’s high school, which has a graduation rate of 100%, has an enrollment of 69 students, and kindergarten through eighth grade, which is also in the same building, has a student enrollment of 87. Jordan is centered between Miles Community College in Miles City and Dawson Community College in Glendive, both two-year schools. 

Miles Community College has on average 353 full-time students and 111 part-time students, while Dawson Community College has a full-time enrollment of 300 students and part-time enrollment of 166 students. Along with these two schools several nearby towns have Interactive Video Studios, which offer degrees and classes from surrounding universities and colleges, including: University of Great Falls, Rocky Mountain College, and Montana State University-Northern. 

Most of these colleges will offer training and classes suited to meet an employer’s needs. The job service and local high school also offer public programs such as welfare to work, school to work, on the job training, and pre-employment skills training.

The following information about age and race distribution, income, and educational attainment is just for the Town of Jordan. However, most of the area’s workforce commutes an average of 50 miles to work, which is only about a 45-minute drive. Therefore, to get an accurate measure of the available workforce the statistics for the 50-mile radius should be used.  
 

Age Distribution	Race Distribution
Under 20 years: 89	Caucasian: 98.6%	Pacific Islander: 0.3%
20-29 years: 32	Black/African American: 0.3%	Two or more races: 0.8%
30-39 years: 40
40-54 years: 76
55-64 years: 32	Income
65 years and over: 95	Number of Households: 197
Median Age: 43.3	Median Household Income: $26,250
Number of Grades Completed	Number of Families: 115
By Adult Population in 2000	Median Family Income: $34,583
Less than 12 Years: 9.2%	Number of Non-Families: 82
12 Years: 40.6%	Median Non-Family Income: $15,000
Some College, No Degree: 28.4%	Per Capita Income: $17,426
2 Year College: 3.3%
4 Year College: 14.2%
Post Graduate: 4.3%

	% of Total Employed	Average Annual Wage
Executive and Professional:	30.9%	$52,230
Sales and Office:	16.9%	$24,540
Service Personnel:	19.5%	$17,610
Trade and Labor:	32.4%	$29,337

The average annual salary for Garfield County is $18,157. In Jordan, the major employers are Ryan Grocery Store and Processing Plant with 20 employees, Garfield County Bank with 12 employees, Pioneer Garage, Inc. with 10-12 employees, Garfield County Health Center and nursing home with 30 employees, Garfield County with 20 employees, Jordan School District #1 with 30 employees, Hilltop Cafe with 10 employees, and the USDA and FSA offices with 10 employees.

Labor Legislation:

Montana labor laws follow the federal laws with some exceptions where they have enacted guidelines to protect the employer or employee more than the federal laws do. Although employment at will is presumed by statute, Montana has enacted a comprehensive Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act making Montana not really a true employment at will state. In most cases, state law prohibits public and private sector employers from conducting random blood and urine tests on employees and applicants, except when: the business involves a hazardous occupation; the primary responsibility is security, safety, or one of confidence and trust; the job involves intrastate commercial transportation; or an employee is subject to driver qualification requirements. 

Montana has no restrictions on applicant testing, but the employer must be able to show a given selection test is appropriately and adequately related to the requirements of the job. Montana law adheres to federal law, which under the Electronic Communication Privacy Act bars electronic monitoring, unless one participant in a conversation consents to intercepting or taping it. A disclaimer statement that the call may be monitored for quality control must be stated clearly and before the conversation is begun. 

The Montana Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act sets guidelines an employer must follow to discharge an employee. The Montana Wage and Hour Laws states that an employer should immediately notify the employees, affected employee organizations, affected local governments, and newspaper of general circulation in the county that a plant is closing. Montana also has enacted the Montana Safety Culture Act, which provides guidelines for safety in the workplace. 

A training wage is permitted for employees under 20 years of age. They may be paid $4.25 per hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment; certain restrictions do apply. In Montana, striking workers are not entitled to unemployment insurance, and mental stress is not permitted in worker’s compensation claims. As with all laws and legislation, there are exceptions where the laws may or may not apply, so each case must be considered individually. 

Average annual salary for total employed population: $16,348

Major employers in the vicinity and number of employees (estimated):

1. Ryan Grocery Store & Processing Plant - 20
2. Garfield County Bank-12
3. Pioneer Garage, Inc.-10 to12
4. Garfield County Health Center and Nursing Home-30
5. Garfield County-20
6. Jordan School District #1-30
7. Hilltop Cafe-10
8. USDA & FSA - 10

Locally owned and operated Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, which is headquartered in Circle, is the principal supplier of telephone service for Eastern and Central Montana. Mid-Rivers Telephone provides cellular, internet, and Interactive television, as well as other standard services to the region. Mid-Rivers also has ADSL and ISDN capabilities. They are a major long distance carrier.  Mid-Rivers Telephone is fully equipped for every business’ needs. Please call Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. at 1-800-452-2288 for further information or special requirements.

The State of Montana does not use sales tax to generate revenue. Montana also does not tax water use, electric power, sewer, natural gas, heating oil fuel, local telephone calls, long distance telephone calls, toll-free telephone calls, membership sales, or direct mail lists. However, Montana does have a state wage tax based upon one’s income at a graduated rate of 2-11 percent. 

Montana does not have a commercial rent tax, but the Town of Jordan as well as the State of Montana collect a property tax. The property tax amount is based on the market value of the property times the taxable value set by legislation times the mill-levy amount set by school officials and city council. 

The average weekly unemployment insurance rate for the State of Montana for May of 2000 was $187.20. The average worker’s compensation premium rate for Montana is a minimum of $245 per year. The rate is based on salary, type of business, type and number of employees, and gross earnings of the company. Premiums are figured by taking a varying rate from 50 cents per 100 employees to $81.55 per 100 employees times the gross earnings of the company. 

The primary insurance carriers for Northeast Montana are Blue Cross Blue Shield, Montana Medical Benefits, John Alden, Intermountain Administrators, EBMS, and independent insurance carriers. Because insurance rates and premiums vary so much with different types of businesses, number of employees, and kinds of coverage, each carrier must be called for quotes. Managed care is not yet available in this area, but it should be offered soon. 

Many incentives are available in the State of Montana for new businesses. State funded pre-employment training is available for new and expanding industries. This service is either free or partially free to companies depending on the business. Through the Department of Commerce up to $5,000 per employee with a total of $400,000 per company in aid is available for training in a new business. The company must go through a competitive process in order to receive this aid. Montana offers no state income tax credits for new capital investment or new jobs created. However, industrial revenue bond financing is available. 

Another incentive available for businesses in Montana is property tax abatement for land, buildings, non-production machinery and equipment, standard computer software, specialized computer software, and office furniture and equipment. The company may be taxed at a lower rate that is increased incrementally each year until the full rate is paid. In order to receive these incentives, the business must fulfill the requirements laid out by the State of Montana. 

Special incentives are also available for designated industries as well as larger companies. Larger companies can obtain special financing assistance if qualifications are met. 

Grants are also available for new and expanding industries. However, certain requirements must be met in order to receive grant money. The employer must pay a starting wage of $7.15 per hour plus benefits. The maximum amount available per project is $5,000 per job up to $400,000 per business.

The US Small Business Administration has designated all of Garfield County as a HUBZone, which is a "historically underutilized business zone." Certified HUBZone companies are eligible for a 10 percent advantage in bidding for federal contracts. HUBZone businesses are expected to fill federal contracts at an increasing rate each year. Also, small businesses located in HUBZone areas can qualify for higher government guaranties on surety bonds for construction and service contract bids. Companies can register as a HUBZone company electronically or manually by calling 1-800-776-9144 extension 2 or visiting http://www.sba.gov. The certification is then approved on the federal level in Washington D.C.

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit program offers employers a credit against their tax liability for hiring individuals from nine target groups who have traditionally had difficulty obtaining and holding jobs. Employers must apply for and receive certification from their state employment security agency that their new hire is a long-term welfare recipient or a member of one of the WOTC target groups.

The cost of living index for the State of Montana is 101.8. However, Jordan would be much lower than this average. For instance the average cost of a single-family house in Jordan ranges from about $20,000 to $55,000. 

Since listings are constantly changing, please contact a local real estate agent for up-to-date information:

Jordan’s airport is used mainly for small private and charter aircraft. The airport, at an elevation of 2662 feet above sea level, is located 2 miles Northwest of Jordan at 47°19'16" North, 106°54'38" West with radio contact at 122.9. The lighted asphalt runway is 4300 feet long and 75 feet wide. 

Eighty-four miles Southeast, Frank Wiley Field in Miles City will be serviced by Great Lakes Aviation with connecting flights to Billings, in early June or late July 2008. One hundred seventy-four miles South, Logan International Airport of Billings offers flights to Denver on United Airlines, to Salt Lake City on Delta Airlines, to Phoenix and Las Vegas on Allegiant Airlines, and connecting flights to all points beyond these airline hubs. Rental cars are available in Glasgow, which is 113 miles North and Glendive, which is 116 miles East.  There is no passenger rail or bus service in Jordan.

Even though the closest interstate, I-94, is 116 miles East in Glendive, Jordan is a major crossroads of two main highways in Montana, state highway 200 and state highway 59.

The nearest large city is Billings, which is 174 miles South of Jordan.  Billings, population 89,847, offers all the amenities of a large city, including commercial air service, major shopping, museums, concerts, and many recreational activities.

Jordan’s average annual high temperature is 59.3° F, and the average annual low temperature is 28.6° F. It can get quite cold in the winter with January’s average temperature being 14.1° F, and an annual average snowfall of 3.6 inches. However, the school only has to close it doors about one day a year due weather, if even that. July’s average temperature is 71.4° F. The average rainfall is 1.08 inches per year, and the average annual wind speed is about twelve miles per hour. The growing season in the area is about 120 days, from May to September. With Jordan’s extreme weather one can enjoy a hot summer as well as a white Christmas. 

Garfield County Health Center and Nursing Home, a critical access hospital (CAH) and long-term care facility, employs 30 people including one physician’s assistant, six registered nurses,  two LPN’s, and thirteen certified nurse assistants. The hospital and nursing home has twenty-four beds and four critical access beds available.  The Town of Jordan has its own ambulance, and emergency medical helicopter service flying out of the airport. 

Local suppliers provide Jordan with many of its basic utilities. McCone Electric supplies the Town of Jordan with its electrical power. McCone Electric has a base cost for a medium commercial user of $17.00 plus energy charges of 7.95 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first 2000 kilowatt-hours, 6.07 cents per kilowatt-hour for 2000-4000 kilowatt-hours, and 5.3 cents per kilowatt-hour thereafter.  McCone Electric has an average of 10.29 hours of outages per customer a year, including planned outages.  Natural gas is not available in Jordan.

Jordan also has a volunteer fire department, search and rescue team, sheriff, public library, chamber of commerce, and highway department. The town businesses include a weekly newspaper, two motels, RV park and campground, two restaurants, one gas station, a Chevrolet dealership, grocery store and processing plant, hardware store, lumberyard, pharmacy, community bank, and VFW Community Hall that could be rented for events and dinners.

As well as several businesses and eight churches, Jordan also offers many recreational facilities including: a senior citizen center, four City/County parks, swimming pool, Farrand Field (football), and a baseball field (that is not developed and not named.)

Additionally, 26 miles north, Hell Creek State Park provides access to Fort Peck Lake, which offers many recreational activities like boating, fishing, and swimming.  The Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds Fort Peck Lake, offers many opportunities to see Montana's abundant wildlife.