Just received word that the Acton Bar has closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy. That's the third good Outpost customer -- along with Montana Celtic Treasures and Ben Franklin in West Park Plaza -- that has closed or has announced that it is closing in the last month.
Is the economy hurting? Well, I'm nervous.
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Is it just me or are there a lot of empty store fronts downtown?
I was downtown last Saturday morning and there was NO foot traffic anywhere at 10am...
We'll make it through this, we always do.
As a matter of fact, we Montanan's have got quite a knack for getting through rough times better than anyone else in the country.
Dave,
Not sure what you mean by "we." Some of us aren't going to make it.
The rough times here that began in 1984 lasted a good 5 years, maybe longer. I can recall at times over 150 homes reposessed on the market at one time.
WHen Billings tanks, it really tanks bad.
The Acton Bar was kind enough to serve me and my friends in 1968, when we were 18. A trip to Acton was a regular part of the social plan for a weekend.
Sorry to see them pass.
Some stores are closing, but the job market seems to be holding up. But Billings is usually about 10 years behind the rest of the nation when it comes to downturns. Don't hold your breath until 2010.
The job market is holding up but the majority of the jobs pay minimum wage.....We need industry in Montana....I am part of the "we" and have been here for 40 years...(or so) I will be okay because I am not trying to raise a family on minimum wage in this economy. And David you are right,
some will not make it through...
Some businesses are closing all the time and while the eocnomy plays a part the weakest are the first to go, which means they either aren't being run as well or aren't serving a big enough market. There are all kinds of jobs going begging -- I just talked to a guy today who was telling me how Burlington Northern is going to Minnesota to recruit, and still having a tough time -- now those aren't minimum wage jobs but they do require a desire to work. There are lots of unskilled low level jobs available, but there are also lots of companies willing to trained the unskilled -- just read about being able to get reasonably priced training to be a carpet layer -- that's not minimum wage either -- but again you gotta wanna work -- so any one who's whining about jobs at this moment in time in Billings is probably not anyone I would want to hire.
work ethic does have ALOT to do with it...you are right....
dave--I also like to think that "we Montanan's" have a knack for getting thru rough times, but I am worried. I think the difference now as compared to earlier tough times may be that "we Montanan's" are packing a lot of debt--and that can take anyone down. Also a point of interest. I think that Montana was the only state to lose population in the 1920's--The drought "killed" a lot of the homesteaders. The depression of the 30's just continued the problems this state was already having.
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