Doon, Iowa — U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, has announced her Small Business of the Week is B&B Gates & Supply of Lyon County.
Ernst says that the Pollema family has built B&B Gates & Supply on a foundation of community, craftsmanship, and care, creating “American-made products paired with excellent customer service.” She says that what began in an unheated shop has grown into a thriving family business, dedicated to keeping family farms and clients across the Midwest “gated” and moving livestock where they need to go.
Ernst’s staff tells us that in 1996, hog and cattle farmers Barry and Patty Pollema started B&B Gates & Supply on their family farm in Doon. The business steadily grew from a part-time operation into a full-service livestock gates manufacturer. They say that due to its growth, the B&B Gates & Supply moved its operation into a 50,000-square-foot facility along Highway 75 in 2021. That same year, they built a retail store that served as a one-stop shop for agricultural necessities. Today, the family business has grown to employ more than 34 team members, with several of the Pollemas’ children taking on key roles in the business. This year, B&B Gates & Supply will celebrate its 29th anniversary.
Throughout the 119th Congress, Ernst says she plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
(Courtesy fellow Community First Broadcasting station KSOU in Sioux Center)
KIWA Staff Photo
