By Montanans for Everyone
My husband Alex and I (Brooke), founded The Last Best Company in 2018. For years, we had been making and selling decorated goods at local markets and events in Missoula, Montana as well as offering product customization to local businesses. As our business grew, we began wholesaling our products to retailers. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, all of our wholesale buyers stopped purchasing.
We knew we needed to pivot quickly to survive. We began making masks to meet the growing demand, and soon hired a team to help with production. In the midst of this chaotic time, we also focused on research and development, and came up with our unique wood patch hat. We laminated various types of laser-etched and cut wood veneer to anodized aluminum and riveted the patches to hats, creating a rugged and durable outdoor brand.
At the end of 2020, we launched Soula Box, a box business featuring 11 other women-owned businesses to build gift boxes and raise money to make gift boxes for COVID healthcare workers. This success led to the acquisition of The Last Best Box, a bi-monthly and one-time purchase gift box featuring all Montana businesses and artists.
In the fall of 2021, The Last Best Company was approached by the Southgate Mall through our hat Instagram page, Last Best Supply, to open a Montana store. The mall was looking for a local brand with roots in the community, and The Last Best Company fit the bill. Our grand opening was in February of 2022, and we are now proud to host over 100 local Montana artists and businesses.
Throughout our journey, we continued to upgrade our wood hat patches, beginning to utilize artisanally patinated copper veneer, bendable birch wood, and a veneer laminated to bonded leather. We also evolved our sewing operation to make high-quality sewn water bottle totes featuring 100% cotton ripstop, all grown and woven in the USA, along with art printed fabric and rivet-enforced webbing. We continue to offer product development and customization for other businesses, helping them elevate their brands with the high quality goods we create here in Missoula.
Today, The Last Best Company is a trifecta family of businesses including The Last Best Store, Last Best Supply, and The Last Best Box. Our goal is to support the local Montana economy, help elevate local artists, and support Montana manufacturing. We are proud to have come so far from our humble beginnings at the Missoula People's Market and are excited for what the future holds.
Wilderness Watch Fundraiser
We are proud to announce our collaboration with Wilderness Watch, a national not-for-profit organization based right here in Missoula. We are taking pre-orders for sustainable t-shirts, hats and hoodiesdesigned and decorated through local manufacturing, with all profits going to support Wilderness Watch's mission of protecting and preserving America's wilderness areas.
Made in Montana 2023 Retailer of the Year
The Last Best Store is overjoyed to announce that it has been named the 2023 Retailer of the Year in Montana by the Made in Montana Program. The Last Best Store had their grand opening at the end of February of 2022 and is owned and operated by multi-generational Montanans and Missoula natives. This is why supporting the local economy is so important to them. This is a remarkable achievement for the store, given that we had not been open for a full year by the end of 2022.
New Local Artist Feature!
We are excited to announce that we will be featuring local artists every quarter in our store. Located in the Southgate Mall, we will be showcasing original paintings by talented artists from the Missoula area. Our first featured artist is Jodi Monahan, a local artist known for her large format oil paintings.
A Year Down
New artists, new creators, new friends and new teammates. This last hear has been a wild ride!

Soft Opening
We will be open until the end of the year at which point the doors will shut for a little remodel. Rest assured, we'll be right back at it with a grand opening in Mar. 2022.
New Store New Products
As we continue to build out the store, be sure to check back in regularly as we are continuously adding new and exciting products