When you walk into Montana Scrubs, you immediately notice the rows of colors, styles, and sizes filling the store. But the business at 1301 5th Avenue North is about much more than clothing.
It is a story of family history, an unexpected entrepreneurial opportunity, and a commitment to making healthcare and service professionals feel seen, heard, and appreciated.
Montana Scrubs is now owned by Deb McGregor and her husband, Steve. Although the business has entered a new chapter, the location itself has been serving Great Falls for more than a century.
A Building Filled With History
The building was constructed around 1900 and originally housed a neighborhood grocery store. It later became Northside Drug, operated by Carl Snyder, before eventually becoming known as Snyder Drug.
That history has a personal connection for Deb.
Her grandfather and uncle were both physicians who came to this very location to pick up medications before heading out on house calls throughout the community.
“They might have been delivering a baby, or somebody might have been ill,” Deb explained. “They actually came to this very location to get those medications from the Snyder family.”
The connection between the McGregor and Snyder families goes even deeper. Kim Voloshen, a member of the Snyder family and the previous owner of the scrub business, grew up in Deb’s great-grandfather’s home.
When Kim approached Deb about purchasing the business, the opportunity carried more meaning than simply acquiring a storefront.
“I was very honored and privileged that she would even think about me,” Deb said. “Deep in the back of my mind, I always had this dream that maybe one day I would own a brick-and-mortar business.”
Deb and Steve closed on the business on March 31. After closing for only about a day and a half, they reopened the doors under the Montana Scrubs name.
“We are having a blast,” she said. “It has been so much fun.”
Watch the full interview here:
More Than a Scrub Store
Montana Scrubs serves nurses, doctors, certified nursing assistants, dental professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, eye clinic employees, spa professionals, and many others who work in caring and service-related professions.
Different medical facilities and departments often require employees to wear specific colors. Montana Scrubs carries traditional options such as navy, black, wine, Caribbean blue, and steel blue, along with brighter colors such as coral, sea green, emerald green, and pewter.
The store also carries a wide variety of styles and fits.
Since taking ownership, Deb and Steve have added approximately 1,500 sets of scrubs to the store’s inventory.
That selection has helped Montana Scrubs become more than a Great Falls business. Deb describes it as a “destination scrub store.”
Customers regularly travel from Kalispell, Havre, Butte, Missoula, Helena, and Bozeman. The store has also served customers from Lethbridge, Calgary, and Edmonton.
“People love being able to come in and get what they want right off the rack,” Deb said.
Special orders are available, but having a large inventory matters to professionals who may need several sets at once or who cannot afford to wait for an online order to arrive.
The store also carries stethoscopes, medical scissors, Montana-made products, Heroes Rise Coffee, and Ice Chips candy made with xylitol.
Helping During a “Scrub Emergency”
Healthcare schedules do not always fit neatly into normal business hours.
Someone may be reassigned to another hospital department and suddenly need a different scrub color. A traveling medical professional may arrive in Great Falls without their luggage. Others may simply work shifts that make it difficult to shop during regular hours.
Montana Scrubs offers special appointments for what Deb calls a “scrub emergency.”
She recalled one customer who contacted the store shortly before beginning a shift.
“She said, ‘I literally just got here. I have 10 minutes. I need this color and this size,’” Deb explained.
The Montana Scrubs team pulled the clothing before the customer arrived. She came in, changed, removed the tags, and went directly to work.
“We are here for you,” Deb said.
Serving the People Who Serve Others
One of the strongest messages Deb shared during our conversation was her appreciation for healthcare and service professionals.
Montana Scrubs customers often come into the store after long and difficult shifts. Some have spent hours on their feet caring for patients, assisting families, or working in high-pressure environments.
Sometimes they need new clothing. Sometimes they simply need someone willing to listen.
“We sometimes see people come in after long shifts and hard shifts,” Deb said. “I sometimes feel like I am an ear—somebody they can talk to.”
She encourages the community to take a moment to thank the people who work in medical and caregiving professions.
“Thank a medical professional today,” she said. “Thank anybody in the serving and caring professions. It truly is an honor and privilege to serve this community.”
Deb refers to the people connected to the business as the Montana Scrubs community.
The goal is not simply to sell uniforms. It is to support the people who wear them.
Creating a Business Where People Feel Seen
Deb has spent many years working with business owners, leadership teams, and executives. In addition to owning Montana Scrubs, she continues to work as an executive and life coach, workshop facilitator, retreat leader, and keynote speaker.
Now, she is applying many of the principles she once taught other entrepreneurs to her own retail business.
One of those principles is that a business owner gets to choose the culture they create.
“As entrepreneurs and small business owners, we get to choose how we want to be with our business and how we want to be with our employees,” she said.
At Montana Scrubs, the philosophy centers on respect, care, encouragement, and helping customers shine in the work they do.
“We want you to be seen,” Deb said. “When you come in here, you are seen. You are heard. You know you matter in the world.”
For Deb, building trust means doing what you say you will do, treating people respectfully, and taking responsibility for the decisions you make.
That philosophy can be felt when customers walk through the door.
This is not a store where transactions come before people. The conversation and relationship come first.
Building a Strong Team Around the Business
Deb is quick to point out that owning a small business does not mean doing everything alone.
She believes entrepreneurs need strong relationships with bankers, accountants, mentors, advisors, and trusted business confidants.
“You want to have people in your corner who are going to help your business get to the level you want it to be at,” she said.
She specifically acknowledged the support of Rich Gannon and the Small Business Development Center, along with the bankers and professional advisors who have helped Deb and Steve develop their strategy.
The transition from advising business owners to becoming a retail owner herself has given Deb an entirely new perspective.
“I used to teach scaling to business owners,” she said. “Then all of a sudden, you are in your own business going, ‘I wonder what the scaling is going to look like here.’”
That experience has reinforced an important lesson: business owners must determine what they can do themselves and what they need to release to someone else.
That can be difficult for an entrepreneur, but it is necessary for sustainable growth.
Supporting Other Local Businesses
Deb also believes that supporting local business means respecting the specialties other entrepreneurs have already created.
When customers come into Montana Scrubs looking for tactical clothing or certain 5.11 products, she refers them to Tacticality.
Although Montana Scrubs could expand into that market, Deb has intentionally chosen not to compete in an area where another established local business already has a strong presence.
“Why would I do that to somebody who already has that niche in the marketplace?” she said.
That mindset reflects the kind of local business ecosystem we need more of—business owners referring customers, supporting one another, and recognizing that collaboration can create more value than unnecessary competition.
More to Come
The Montana Scrubs story is only beginning.
The upstairs apartment is currently being renovated and will eventually have a tenant, continuing the building’s historic tradition of combining business and residential space.
Deb is also planning a mural for the exterior of the building.
There are additional plans being developed for the lot next to the store, although Deb is not ready to reveal the details just yet.
She also intends to offer classes and other unique programs in the space, drawing from her experience as a coach and leadership professional.
“We are just getting started,” she said. “There is going to be a lot more to come.”
Montana Scrubs represents what makes local business special.
It honors the history of a Great Falls building. It continues a connection between two local families. It supports people working in demanding professions. And it gives an experienced business leader the opportunity to step fully into entrepreneurship herself.
Most importantly, it is creating a place where customers know they matter.
Visit Montana Scrubs
Address:
1301 5th Avenue North
Great Falls, Montana
Hours:
Tuesday through Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday
Phone:
406-770-3666
Special appointments may be available for urgent scrub needs.
Montana Scrubs is part of the We Are Local Wednesday Local Business Spotlight, highlighting the entrepreneurs, businesses, and people who help make our community stronger.
