Montana

Growing up on a family farm in northern Montana, Brad Brenteson got used to working with metal and repairing machines. He developed that interest working in a family friend’s machine shop during high school, and vocational school for machining and welding helped him hone his skills. After fixing the school’s old CNC plasma table, a precision metal cutter, he started creating signs. He made his first one for his soon-to-be wife, Carley, whose passion for art and design led the two to start a side business making custom signs and railings, which they sold at farmers markets. In 2014, Brad landed his first big home architectural project and founded Split Mountain Metals. They added to their inventory, making everything from gates to weather vanes. “People would come in and ask if we could make something. It was always like, ‘Yeah, we’ll figure it out,’” Brad says. “That really expanded the types of products we offered.”

The company’s Google Business Profile has a 5-star rating, and Brad says it’s a natural fit for their custom designs: “Our products are incredibly visual, so being able to host pictures and have people see reviews–it’s probably benefited our business more than any other Google product.” He uses Google Workspace and appreciates how it fuels fast collaboration for customer presentations. “I have amassed a Google Sheets empire,” he laughs. Google Ads help him acquire customers; he shares that one current ad has received 250,000 impressions and 2,000 clicks. Brad also uses YouTube for product videos and employee training videos, like how to operate the laser, noting, “It’s super easy to host videos.” As Split Mountain Metals continues to expand, Brad’s farm background comes in handy as a business owner. “I inherited a specific set of work ethic and problem-solving skills,” he says. “That’s probably the biggest single thing that’s let us grow the way we have.”

Tina Cusker, owner of boutique kitchen store La Cuisine, is an expert at creating community around tables. Her husband Brett was active duty Air Force for 25 years, and they regularly broke bread with friends and neighbors as they traveled and lived around the world. When they settled back in Bozeman, a fast-growing university and ski town in their home state of Montana, Tina saw the chance to combine her passion for cooking and entertaining with her background as an educator. In 2021, she and Brett opened La Cuisine, a retail store and culinary classroom that partners with local artisans, chefs, caterers, and restaurants for weekly cooking classes. “We want families to sit across from each other, eat together, share about their day–live life together at the dinner table,” she says. “When people come to my classes that haven't met each other before, and walk away good friends, that's special to me. It means we're building community amongst our customers as well.”

Getting customers in her door and in front of products is always important, and Tina says digital tools have helped since day one. She had more than 2 million ad impressions in a single quarter and saw 30 percent growth after using Google Ads. She says her strong Google Ads and Business Profile helps her to reach new locals: “A lot of our customers are building second homes, so they arrived without anything for their kitchen. They searched for ‘local kitchen store’ and they found us and what we have to offer.” Tina updates her Business Profile regularly with store hours and seasonal photos. She’s also expanding to offer curation services to help people create their dream kitchens, and gives back to her community by hosting networking dinners for fellow local businesses, and free classes for military families as a way to honor their service. “It’s as simple as inviting others to your table,” she says.

Nine Quarter Circle Ranch has deep roots in Montana’s rugged wilderness. Founded by Howard Kelsey in 1946, the guest ranch is now run by a third generation of the family, since grandson Kameron and his wife, Sally, took the reins from Kameron’s parents in 2019. “It’s rare to have multiple generations of a family own a business these days,” Sally points out. “Everything about the experience is steeped in tradition.” The ranch offers horseback riding, fly fishing, and a dining experience with a sense of community–along with the chance to explore wide-open spaces. Even the ranch’s 120 Appaloosa horses carry on tradition: Howard introduced the breed to the ranch in homage to the Nez Perce, who bred Appaloosas for their stamina and sure-footedness.

While guests are busy enjoying the low-tech lifestyle, the Kelseys use a high-tech approach behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. They use Google Ads to find new customers, gaining more qualified leads and a higher conversion rate than they see from other sources. The couple also collaborates daily using Google Workspace. “We’re always on the move,” Sally says, “so to be able to log in from anywhere and access or change information is really helpful. Using Google Docs and Sheets to manage inventories or reservations lets us have the most up-to-date information regardless of where we are.” With guests coming from all over the U.S. and abroad, and 30 percent year-over-year (YoY) revenue growth, the Kelseys stay plenty busy. But watching the ranch transform those guests keeps them grounded. “Families get to reconnect here, hearing the creek, watching the night sky and the wildlife,” Kameron says. “More people should spend more time in nature. It's good medicine.”

Michelle Huie’s sales job left her nursing achy legs at night. On a recommendation, she tried compression socks—and they changed her life. Michelle started thinking about the many uses for compression socks: long flights, medical conditions, and standing for work. But when she realized the limited colors or styles available, Michelle set out to make fashion-forward, medically-sound compression socks. VIM & VIGR was born and has since seen 100-percent growth every year, thanks in part to their use of Google products. In 2020, Google Ads accounted for roughly 20 percent of their sales, and Google Analytics helped them understand their audience so they could refine the content, navigation, and structure of their site to increase conversions.

When COVID-19 hit, VIM & VIGR’s revenue shifted from 60-percent brick-and-mortar retail to nearly 80- percent e-commerce, selling directly to customers. This new normal has helped them better understand their community, product performance, and what customers love about the brand. Using Google Ads and Analytics, Michelle tracks which products and site pages are performing well and adjusts accordingly as trends and behaviors change. And with increasing sales in 2020, Michelle wanted to give back to the healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. Through their “Buy a Sock, Give a Sock “ program, VIM & VIGR donated close to $140,000 worth of socks to about 77 hospitals, using Google Forms to facilitate the donation process. It’s no surprise that Michelle is excited about business looking forward—after all, VIM & VIGR now has a closer relationship with their customers thanks to a direct-to-consumer model and added insights from Google Ads, Analytics, and other channels, like YouTube. “Hearing directly from our customers during this time has allowed us to create a better product and brand that serves—and connects with—our community more effectively,” says Michelle.