You should never discount the dreamers. David Fales had a dream to start a company that took pride in marketing beef exclusively from Wyoming ranchers. He founded Wyoming Authentic Products in Cody and in 2013 started selling steaks, jerky and more across state lines using the first in-state USDA-certified meat processing facility. Though Fales faced many obstacles along the way, he succeeded by never giving up on his dream.
Lander-based tech startup PitchEngine was founded in 2008 by Jason Kintzler as an alternative to traditional press releases. Now, with over 50,000 brands using their product, the company has moved into new territory with their websites – County 10 and Oil City – that provide instant local news to Wyoming communities.
Megan Grassell from Jackson, at only 18-years-old, started her own business to launch her first product - age appropriate undergarments for adolescent girls. Calling her company Yellowberry, she raised over $40,000 on the online crowdfunding site Kickstarter and quickly found success. Last year she was named one of TIME Magazine’s most influential teens of 2014.
Wyoming Arms, located in Cody, was conceived by three longtime friends looking to take their love of hunting and shooting to the next level by turning it into a business. In 2013, they started designing, manufacturing and selling state-of-the-art firearms. With high profile clients like Governor Matt Mead, Wyoming Arms is seeing their dreams come true. It’s especially wonderful to see them advertise their product with “Wyoming Pride”.
Wyoming is a state of independent thinkers who don’t wait around for someone else to solve our problems. When it comes to entrepreneurs starting amazing businesses, Wyoming has the best around. We are home to countless entrepreneurs who have found a way to succeed and do what they love right here in our state.
Link to Wyoming Works Maps
Each of these stories represent an amazing Wyoming company I visited during my Wyoming Works Tour; businesses that set their goals high by taking their entrepreneurial dreams to the next level and starting their own business. It is one of the most difficult challenges anyone can undertake. But it is always a great story when another Wyoming entrepreneur finds success.
While I represent our state in Washington, D.C., Diana and I have always seen ourselves as ambassadors of Wyoming business and entrepreneurship. As a former small business owner that started his own successful shoe stores, I know that almost every small business looks easy to operate if you haven’t had to get behind the counter and run it. I always say you may be the owner, but you are also the same person who opens the store, waits on customers, cleans the bathroom, stocks merchandise, all while having to make payroll every week. But I also know there is almost no better feeling that seeing your dreams come to light through the success of your own business.
I challenge Wyomingites to figure out what their entrepreneurial dreams are and act on them. Wyoming appreciates you trying to turn your dreams into a reality, because Wyoming is small business. That is what our small communities across the state are made of. You will never succeed if you don’t try.
If you own, work at or know of a business whose story you’d like to share, please contact my office. E-mail Renée Bender, my small business policy advisor, at Renee_Bender@enzi.senate.gov or call her at 202-224-3424. We have asked this of Wyoming in the past, and we have always enjoyed the businesses we discovered through this process. We would like to hear from you.
