Larry Simkins

As president and CEO of the Washington Companies, headquartered in Missoula, Montana, Larry Simkins has established himself as a Montana business leader. The Washington Companies are an international group of privately-owned companies, including Montana Rail Link and Modern Machinery, which represent core industries, such as mining, transportation, construction, and aviation products. Since joining the Washington Companies in 1988, Simkins has been involved in many of the Companies’ businesses throughout Montana, the Pacific Northwest, and internationally.

In 2015, Simkins was honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, whose recipients demonstrate extraordinary national-level recognition in their field and an established record of volunteer service in their community. Only about one in every 1,000 Eagle Scouts ever receive the award, and only 10 honorees have been Montanans. In addition to local community involvement, Simkins also co-chaired Gov. Steve Bullock’s Main Street Montana program and served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.