Have you heard?: Coca-Cola makes a grand entrance, others wave farewell (2024)

There’s some big business news happening in Billings this weekend, and I’m not just talking about the size of the building— although it is 182,600 total square feet —but also its economic impact on the area.

Coca-Cola High Country’s shiny new manufacturing, sales, and distribution facility recently had its grand opening. This is a milestone 10 years in the making for the regional, fourth generation, family-owned business, and a mere two years since groundbreaking.

The newly erected $90-$100 million complex, built on 17.3 acres, is High Country’s second manufacturing facility, its first and only in Montana, and the company’s largest capital investment to date.

The family company has come a long way since its humble beginnings, housed in a former gas station in Rapid City, South Dakota, to the 26 sales centers it now has spanning regions of the Dakotas, Colorado, Minnesota, Utah, Wyoming and Montana.

Executive Vice President Tura Synhorst, whose grandfather founded the company in 1956, is very, very proud. Her eyes well up as she tells me about her grandfather Mike Messinger’s early days; a poor farmer sorting glass Coca-Cola bottles in Iowa.

“There’s only 63 independent ownerships left today in the United States, and we’re one of those,” Synhorst said. “My grandfather has passed, but my dad’s still living. We’ll have second, third and fourth generations here for the grand opening, so it’s super special for us as a family.”

Those attending the public open house got a bird’s eye view to the bottling and canning process, all done by local employees.

Around 110 people are employed at the new facility, that’s 50 more than were employed at their previous Billings location, including jobs for the manufacturing line, warehouse, fleet and equipment maintenance, merchandisers, route drivers, sales, and marketing.

The original Billings Coca-Cola High Country location, which opened in 2014, is now for sale. I wonder who will snatch it up.

Grand Opening Open House: Coca-Cola High Country invites the community to tour the new facility located at 1830 Harnish Boulevard, Saturday, June 22, from 12-3 pm. Coca-Cola products will be served for refreshments.

In other rather sad area business news, a longtime favorite restaurant of the Billings Heights recently closed. After much speculation, Bull Mountain Grille released an official statement last week, announcing their closure.

The restaurant recently posted this statement: “Good afternoon, this is Shannon up at the Bull Mountain Grille. I have some not-so-great news as unfortunately the Bull Mountain has made a tough decision to close its doors for business. This is effective immediately. This was a very abrupt, last-minute decision and we are very sorry to deliver the news."

Many of the restaurant’s longtime customers were dismayed and saddened by the news, sharing sentiments of concern and disappointment on the Grille’s Facebook page.

“This is our date go-to, very sad that they are closed,” Lisa Buchanan commented.

This news also comes after the restaurant announced a change to their hours of operation on June 2, cutting their weekday lunch service due to “inconsistent staffing,” their FB post said.

Bull Mountain Grille had been in business for more than 10 years in the Heights, serving up Grille favorites from burgers to steaks since opening in 2011.

Speaking of burgers, steaks and Montana-raised, cured and smoked meat snacks and entrees of all kinds, Ranch House Meat Company recently announced a location change. Their Billings West End location’s last day open was June 15. Billings-area carnivores will have to impatiently wait for their new location to open in Lockwood on July 1.

The ever-popular meat company, sought out by locals and tourists alike, has been looking for a new location on the West End because of a median constructed on Henesta Drive, the company said in a Facebook post. They will continue hunting for a new West End home, but until then will be located solely at their new Lockwood location, at 2032 Old Hardin Road.

“We hope you stay a customer and travel to see us at our new store while we continue looking for our new West End spot,” Ranch House Meat Co. said. “For all of you that support us, we appreciate and love you. We have created a special card just for you, it’s good for discounts at our Lockwood location.”

Thankfully, they will be open again just in time for all those Fourth of July backyard barbecues.

For all those hungry for more meat snacks before their July opening, Ranch House Meat does sell and ship their variety of snack sticks, beef jerky and summer sausage directly from their website, ranchhousemeat.com.

Happy snacking, 'till next time.