Business Opportunities Weblog

May 14, 2007 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Great Falls Tribune:

Kim Waltee’s not just Autumn’s mom or Drew’s mom any more. She’s the Fish Queen.

The proprietor of 4-year-old Montana Mountain Smoked says the title earned for her lines of smoked trout and salmon fits her just fine.

A former hairdresser, Waltee says she smoked fish her entire life, learning the craft from her grandfather.

“People would bring me their fish all the time,” she said.

In 1993, she was looking for a career change and decided to turn her hobby into a business. She added a shop to her home, bought a commercial smoker and went to work. Today that shop has expanded twice and holds three smokers.

Montana Mountain Smoked products are never frozen after the three-day curing, smoking and packaging process is complete, which means they are fresh, she said. The salmon and halibut she uses are caught in the wild.

As mostly a one-woman show, Waltee puts in some long hours. However, the flexibly of being her own boss is worth it.

“Both my kids do sports and I can travel to their games,” she said. “You can start earlier in the day, 4 a.m., and be finished by the middle of the afternoon.”

Photo by George Lane.

In Niche, Startup, Success | 1 Comment