Bridget Larson

Bridget has spent the last 30+ years helping others surround themselves with the good things in life. She is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of one of the original coffee shop/boutiques in the state of Montana (still going strong!). Bridget traveled nationwide to source artisanal treasures to bring back to Montana for resale. In addition, her business focused on supporting local, Made in Montana producers. Bridget served as president of the Shelby Merchant Association and was active in the Shelby Chamber of Commerce. She is currently the manager of S.M. Bradford, Co in Whitefish, MT. where you will find her surrounded by the finest country music and western apparel. Bridget enjoys being active in the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the Whitefish Songwriter Festival. 

Bridget was born and raised in Montana, where her grandfather homesteaded in the late 1800s. She spent a decade serving Montana Farmers and Ranchers on the national level at the USDA Farm Service Agency. She is proud of her work in Glacier County and in Helena, Montana's state capital. She worked closely with Washington D.C. and Montana farmers and ranches to provide assistance in disaster relief and supervised credit for farm ownership and operating loans. Bridget and her colleagues were honored in Washington DC. where they were awarded the FSA administrator's award for exceptional outreach to the Blackfeet Nation. This team was also awarded the national Poetry and Prose team building award. They produced and performed in a music video (with the support of Meghan Trainor's father) that was shown across the USA.

Bridget moved to Whitefish full time in 2020 to work with Glacier Hops Ranch, Montana's first commercial hopyard. GHR played a crucial role in validating Montana as a viable, high quality hop-growing region. Eventually, GHR focused on exporting traditional hops and their innovative steam distilled Hopzoil. Bridget began in the lab as logistics coordinator and eventually moved into sales. Here she grew an amazing book of clients including European distributors and the world's largest fragrance and flavor company based out of Switzerland. Bridget represented GHR at many trade shows domestically and internationally. A highlight was participating in Drinktec, the world's leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid industry in Munich, Germany. During her tenure, Glacier Hops Ranch was named 2022 National Small Business Exporter of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Bridget's greatest accomplishment and her pride and joys, are her daughter and son-in-law and her two beautiful granddaughters who reside in Helena, MT.  

As a young girl, when Bridget wasn't riding horses across Montana's prairies, she was water skiing on Whitefish Lake, or dragging Main with the music blaring. Montana and music are in Bridget's blood. Some things have changed, but her love of joy, music and creativity have not. As a board member of the Whitefish Songwriter Festival all three will be in full force!