In 1981 Lee Holsman, Gayle, and 3 year-old Aaron moved to Albia, Iowa. In 1984, Lee wanted to start a snack food distribution business, so he went to the bank and borrowed $5,000 (his sister had to cosign for him as he was new in town).
With the loan Lee purchased a Volkswagen Rabbit as his first delivery vehicle, and $3,000 worth of beef jerky and other snacks. He began by calling on taverns, then convenience stores, then truck stops, then chains of convenience stores, and finally grocery stores. He would start a route, hire a driver to deliver to those stores, and then he would go out and get more stores. He always insisted on top notch service for his customers.
As Aaron got older, he would ride along with Lee. When Aaron turned 18 he began running routes, and today he handles a lot of the business himself.
After many years of distributing other company’s products, Lee and Aaron decided to create their own, and the IOWA SMOKEHOUSE brand was born. Now selling in all 50 states, IOWA SMOKEHOUSE has grown to include jerky, sticks, steak bites, kippered slabs, summer sausage and more. Providing a wide range of styles, flavors, and pack sizes to meet the needs of everybody. Eventually this was followed by a unique line of all-natural jams, salsas, and pickled goods under the label Laura Beth’s. With these new and growing product lines, their customers have expanded to include many Farm and Home/Ranch stores and they now ship to major distribution centers of large corporations across the U.S.
From the humble beginnings of selling and delivering products out of a Volkswagen Rabbit, Preferred Wholesale, Inc. has grown into the thriving business it is today. But it is still Lee, Gayle, Aaron and his wife Laura, driving the business.
We still proudly insist on only high quality products and top notch service for our customers.
IOWA SMOKEHOUSE Milestones
1984
Started snack food distribution business.
2000
Opened office and warehouse space near the town square in Albia, Iowa.
2017
Purchased larger office and warehouse space on Hwy 34 in Albia, Iowa.
2018
Added 10,000 sq feet to warehouse space.
2020
Broke ground on new office and warehouse space in Albia, Iowa.
2021
Launched new online retail website.
