Idaho Company Named Small Business of the Year

EO Idaho member Sherman Leibow's company, Great Western Barbecue Supply, LLC, a regional wholesale distributor of Traeger wood pellet smoker grills, was recently named 2009 Small Business of the Year by the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Boise-based company serves 220 independent retail dealers within Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Eastern Washington, USA. The company also serves as the sales and marketing arm for the manufacturer's line of commercial smoker grills.

Criteria for the annual award include company growth in revenue and employees, staying power, community involvement, response to adversity and innovativeness of product or service. The company will receive the award at the Boise Chamber's annual Small Business Celebration Luncheon, 25 June. Great Western, one of two winners, receives the award in the category of 1-10 employees.

Founded in April 2006 with General Manager Sherman Leibow as the sole employee, the company now employs six. "We've grown quickly but we've managed it well," says Leibow, adding that "the company has strong financials and no long-term debt."

Leibow credits hard work and innovation to his company's being Traeger's fastest-growing distributor, explaining that the company tries to go beyond the traditional wholesaler functions of providing supply, transportation and credit. "We look for and create effective advertising and promotional opportunities, and we've developed our own product and sales-training modules for our dealers." The training can be delivered live or via the Internet, he says. "Anything we can feasibly do to help make our dealers more profitable is good for us, and it's good for Traeger, too."

Leibow says that community involvement also is important to his company. "We've helped several community and charitable organizations by cooking at their fundraising events or loaning them large-capacity smoker grills. We've also donated several grills as auction and raffle prizes."

To learn more about Great Western, visit the company's Web site.