Wheat Montana founder to speak at 110th annual Havre Chamber meeting

Havre Area Chamber of Commerce has selected a founder of a highly successful Montana business for this year’s speaker in the 110th Annual Meeting and Luncheon.

Dean Folkvord, founder of Wheat Montana Corp., said this will be his first year speaking at the Havre Chamber of Commerce and that he is excited for the event.

Folkvord said that he and his dad founded Wheat Montana Farm and Bakery, located in Three Forks, in 1988, with it fully up and running in 1990.

“We were the quintessential farm-to-table success story before it was a buzz word,” he said. “ … We’ve been fortunate to have a pretty good run in Montana with our farm-grown grains being milled and baked into bread and distributed not only in Montana, but all over the United States.”

He said he has spoken at these types of events before, although it has been fewer since his family made changes and sold the Wheat Montana company.

“I’m kind of on the tail end of my Wheat Montana career, but I’m in the process of reinventing myself,” Folkvord said.

He said his family still has other businesses, such as hotels and motels and other properties, and is still farming, although not as involved with the Wheat Montana business directly on a day-to-day basis.

Folkvord added that he will be telling the whole Wheat Montana story at the Chamber of Commerce meeting — where they started and came from as a family, where they came up with the idea, and how it evolved into a family business. He said it involved all of his family members’ 100 percent dedication and focus for 25 years.

“I talk whenever I am asked,” he said. “I do think, though, communities that have a strong business club or a strong chamber of commerce generally have a more vibrant downtown and a more vibrant business atmosphere.”

“I think a hallmark of Havre, Montana, is having a strong business club like they do,” he added.

He said he loves the people from the Hi-Line.

“The people on the Hi-line, I think they are just the epitome of what Montanans are and have always been,” Folkvord said. “They are close, they communicate, they are friendly, they are interested in you, and I think that’s one of the compelling reasons why I want to come to Havre and meet more people.”

Wheat Montana bought a good amount of wheat from Havre and surrounding area, he said, including organic wheat, specialty grain and other material, he said.

He said although his family no longer owns Wheat Montana he wants to continue with the tradition of having family businesses.

He added that his two daughters are not interested in farming or baking bread and, in an effort to pursue their interests, got involved in restoring the historic Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks. Folkvord said it has turned out really well. It was good for his family and has been a treasured property for them.

His family also owns three other properties that were reconditioned, remodeled and reimagined; one was an old motel in Bozeman which is now the RSVP Motel.

“I think that is going to be the next big thing for our family, and hopefully we can create a significant business in the hospitality arena,” Folkvord said.

His daughters Hillary, 31, and Haylee, 25, have also opened their own cafe in Bozeman called the Farmer’s Daughters Cafe and Eatery. He said the business is starting to take off and do pretty well.

“They are young, they are excited, they are ambitious, so it’s fun,” he said. “It’s not always milk and cookies, but at the end of the day we try to take one step forward, so I guess that’s always the critical measurement.”

He added that his daughter Hillary is also married to Havreite Nick Obie, whose parents are Larry and Loretta Obie.

“We’ve become real dear friends with Larry and Loretta and their family so we have another family connection to the community — all of the people we’ve met because if you intimately know a family from the Hi-Line you end up knowing more and more people,” Folkvord said.

“The Obie’s are well-known and well-respected in the community so that has been fun.”

Havre Chamber Executive Director Jody Olson said she is very excited to hear Folkvord talk.

She added that the Chamber of Commerce has been planning this event for almost a year in advance, finding the main speaker being one of the things that takes the longest to put together. She said the speaker has to be someone who will be interesting for the business people to listen to.

Olson said that Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney will be at the Chamber meeting. Cooney was in the area on other business, Olson said, and accepted the invitation.

She said she will talk briefly about the accomplishments of 2018 and the goals for 2019 during the meeting. After she is finished, upcoming president for the Chamber of Commerce Curt Lineweaver will speak and recognize outgoing board members, including former Chamber President Stacy Mantle, and introduce the new board members and the complete board of directors. After that, Lineweaver will talk about some of the Chamber committees and encourage people the get involved with the committee that interests them.

After Lineweaver concludes Folkvord will then talk for the rest of the meeting, Olson said.

She added that there will also be door prizes, which will all be Wheat Montana products.

Olson said that she expects more than 140 people in attendance, adding that last year approximately 120 people attended.

She said this will also be exciting for her because this will be her first annual meeting. Olson said she was unable to attend last year due to personal reasons.