ProTech Fence owners named Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year

SHELLEY — Local brothers Dallin, Morgan and Scott Jolley never imagined that their parents’ business, which ran out of the garage, would be what it is today.

But this month, the three won awards as Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year for their operations of the once-tiny business, ProTech Fence.

The award is the highest honor a state’s Small Business Association’s office can bestow and recognizes entrepreneurs who have demonstrated strong growth, innovation and contributions to community-oriented projects, according to a news release.

“It was an honor for us to receive it, and to receive it on this side of the state in east Idaho,” Morgan told EastIdahoNews.com. “I think they told us we’re only the third company in the history of this award to win it on the east Idaho side.”

ProTech Fence is a full-service, wholesale/retail fencing and outdoor living company providing residential and commercial fencing installation as well as decks, pergolas and sports equipment such as basketball hoops, pickleball nets and lighting systems.

Scott said his parents started it in the ’90s, after seeing a vinyl fence. They loved it so much, they wanted to bring it to Idaho.

“To our knowledge, we had the first vinyl fence in Idaho installed in our yard,” Scott said. “It was installed out in Thomas, Idaho, and it just took off from there. Our parents realized there was a good opportunity to put a bunch of kids to work; they had six boys and two girls, and we all had awesome summer jobs installing vinyl fence all over the valley.”

“My parents had this business, as Scott said, it was a good business, but it wasn’t really a business that could sustain careers for people,” Dallin said. “So I think we all had a vision and we knew eventually it would happen — we didn’t know when and how — but we envisioned an area where people would come in and work 10, 20, 30, 40 years and actually create a lifestyle.”

The brothers bought the business in 2017. They said that as they wanted to grow the business, Zions Bank and the Small Business Administration were a large help.

Since then, they have added dozens of employees and more than quadrupled the company’s commercial real estate as they expanded to Rigby and Pocatello.

Dallin said with their growth, they’ve also taken some risks. One risk was making their employees the highest-paid in the fence industry locally. But he said this paid off in the end and has made for a happy, thriving work culture in the business.

Protech also typically hires around five to eight high school students each summer. Many of these young employees return in subsequent years, and parents often seek out Protech for their child’s first job because of its positive culture.

“What I love is when parents run into us in public and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a 15- to 16- to 17-year-old, and they’re looking for a good place to work. We know you guys as owners, we know your culture, and all we hear is that’s the place to work,” Dallin said.

In addition to creating local jobs for east Idaho residents, Protech Fence actively invests time, money and resources to strengthen its local communities. The company donates an average of $12,000 to $13,000 annually to causes such as the Shelley Kiwanis Club, local school districts, sports programs and 4-H, according to a news release.

Dallin also used to serve on Shelley City Council, and Scott serves on Bingham County’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

Because they invest in the community and take care of their employees, the three say they’ve been able to achieve their dream of building a business where people can stay and thrive.

“It’s cool to see them be here 10 years. That’s amazing,” Dallin said. “I never thought that was going to happen in this small business out of a garage that we bought, and here we are, getting the opportunity. It’s pretty cool.”

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