News you can use

Gary and Leo's wins top business award

Big Sandy firm also to be honored Friday

A Havre and a Big Sandy business won awards for their success out of all other Montana towns' submissions.

Gary and Leo's Fresh Foods won the 2014 Family Business Day award. It will be presented at the 2014 Montana State University Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship State Farm Insurance Family Business Day Friday in Bozeman.

Weaver Cattle of Big Sandy also won the award.

"We're a farm and ranch, but we're pretty diversified," said Stan Weaver.

Weaver's wife sells real estate and they also have other business endeavors, but their claim to fame is their horses. In the last 15 sales, the company has sold horses to all 50 states, seven Canadian provinces and a couple Central American countries. Weaver said they are also going to have a horse in the National Finals Rodeo this year.

"We're a family operation," Weaver said. His company won the old business category, which requires a company be in operation at least 50 years. His grandfather bought the ranch in 1925 and the horse brand was put into Montana record in 1888.

"Our grandkids are the sixth generation to ride under the Weaver name," Weaver said. "We all have family ties; we really work together. We all help each other. ... It is a great honor to be recognized or even considered."

Gary and Leo's Fresh Foods won the large business category, which requires a company to have at least 50 employees to be considered.

"I think that we've made a contribution to the community," said Gary Leland, for whom the store is named.

Leland said he thinks the longevity of their employees and the success of their operating environment over the years played a part in the store receiving the award.

The categories were split into:

• Very small business, with fewer than 10 employees, which Gruber Excavating of Clancy won

• Small business, with 10 to 30 employees, which Country Foods of Polson won

• Medium business, with 30 to 50 employees, which Nxgen of Whitefish won

• Large business, with more than 50 employees, which Gary and Leo's won

• Oldest business, with more than 50 years of operation, which Weaver Cattle of Big Sandy won

• New business, with 10 or fewer years of operation, which Project Meats of Billings won.

Special recognition award winners are Add-A Tudez of Great Falls and Clark's Fork of Bozeman.

The Havre Area Chamber of Commerce nominated Gary and Leo's for the award. All submissions for the award are submitted by Montana towns' chambers.

"They've just been great partners over the years to the Chamber of Commerce," said Debbie Vandeberg, the executive director of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.

Vandeberg said to make the submissions, they go down the list of Chamber members and decide who to nominate. Master Sports and Holden's Hot Wheels were also nominated this year.

"The business focus is on family," Vandeberg said. "Family-owned business with generational history is key."

In the past, Northern Home Essentials and Duck Inn have received the award, Vandeberg said.

"Congratulations to Gary and Leo's for being selected," Vandeberg said. "I want to thank them for the strong focus on customers, employees and the community and their business leadership."

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/27/2024 21:24