SHELLEY, Idaho — Three brothers from Shelley have earned the highest honor Idaho’s Small Business Administration office awards, recognized for transforming a modest family fencing operation into a thriving regional company with dozens of employees and a reputation for investing in its community.
Dallin, Morgan, and Scott Jolley, owners of ProTech Fence, were named Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year this month. The designation recognizes entrepreneurs who have demonstrated strong growth, innovation, and meaningful contributions to community-oriented projects. Morgan Jolley noted the significance of the recognition coming to an east Idaho company.
“It was an honor for us to receive it, and to receive it on this side of the state in east Idaho,” Morgan said. “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.”
From a Garage in Thomas to a Regional Presence
The story of ProTech Fence traces back to the 1990s, when the Jolley brothers’ parents encountered vinyl fencing and saw an opportunity to bring it to Idaho. The family became early adopters, installing what Scott Jolley believes was the first vinyl fence in the state on their property in Thomas, Idaho.
“It just took off from there,” Scott said. “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.”
Despite that early success, the business remained a small operation for years — enough to keep the family busy but not enough to sustain long-term careers. That changed when the three brothers purchased the company in 2017, backed in part by financing through Zions Bank and the Small Business Administration.
“My parents had this business — it was a good business, but it wasn’t really a business that could sustain careers,” Dallin Jolley said. “We envisioned an area where people would come in and work 10, 20, 30, 40 years and actually create a lifestyle.”
Since taking ownership, the brothers have added dozens of employees, more than quadrupled the company’s commercial real estate footprint, and expanded operations to include locations in Rigby and Pocatello. ProTech now offers a full range of residential and commercial fencing installation, along with decks, pergolas, and outdoor sports equipment including basketball hoops, pickleball nets, and lighting systems.
High Wages, Community Investment, and a Culture That Keeps Workers Coming Back
One deliberate strategy the Jolley brothers pursued was paying their employees the highest wages in the local fence industry — a risk, Dallin acknowledged, but one that has paid off in workforce stability and a positive company culture.
ProTech also hires between five and eight high school students each summer, and many return year after year. Parents in the region actively seek out the company as a destination for their teenagers’ first jobs.
“What I love is when parents run into us in public and say, ‘I’ve got a 15- to 17-year-old, and they’re looking for a good place to work,'” Dallin said.
Beyond employment, the company donates between $12,000 and $13,000 annually to local causes, including the Shelley Kiwanis Club, area school districts, youth sports programs, and 4-H. The brothers also maintain civic roles: Dallin previously served on Shelley City Council, and Scott serves on Bingham County’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Idaho Governor Brad Little joined the Jolley brothers for a photograph marking the award, reflecting the statewide recognition the company has earned.
“It’s cool to see them be here 10 years,” 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.”
What Comes Next
With locations now in Shelley, Rigby, and Pocatello, ProTech Fence appears positioned for continued growth across eastern Idaho. The Jolley brothers have not publicly announced further expansion plans, but the company’s trajectory since 2017 — fueled by SBA-backed financing, workforce investment, and community engagement — suggests the award may mark a milestone rather than a ceiling. As the broader East Idaho economy navigates challenges ranging from rising health care costs tied to insurance contract disputes to water resource pressures facing local agricultural operations, ProTech Fence stands as an example of family-owned business growth built on local roots.