A lot of the trophy buckles handed out at western championships across the country start in Columbus, a town of about 2,000 on the Yellowstone River west of Billings. Montana Silversmiths was founded there in 1973 and grew from a small shop into one of the larger manufacturers in Stillwater County.
The company’s best-known products are custom trophy buckles. Rodeo associations, stock shows, high school rodeo programs and dance organizations order them with their own logos and event names, and the buckles have become a recognizable part of western championship culture. A winner may never wear a medal, but a buckle goes on a belt the next morning.
Jewelry for the retail counter
The other half of the business is retail. Montana Silversmiths sells western-style jewelry, belt buckles, bolo ties and gifts through farm and ranch stores, western wear chains and boutiques around the country. That retail line lets the company keep production steady between the spring and fall championship seasons, when trophy orders peak.
Manufacturing in a small Montana town comes with trade-offs. The company has long cited the work ethic of its local workforce, and Columbus sits on Interstate 90 with access to Billings. But finding skilled workers in a small labor market is a constant challenge, and the company competes with mining jobs at the Stillwater platinum and palladium mines up the road.
For Columbus, the company is one of a handful of employers that make the town more than an interstate stop. Its retail store in town draws visitors who want to see the buckles in person.