Preferred Wholesale Inc

What Preferred Wholesale Inc does

Preferred Wholesale, Inc. is a privately held, family-operated branded food manufacturer and wholesale distributor headquartered in Albia, Iowa. Founded in 1984 by Lee Holsman with a $5,000 bank loan, the company began as a snack food distributor serving taverns, convenience stores, truck stops, and grocery stores, and has since evolved into a vertically integrated producer of two proprietary brand lines: IOWA SMOKEHOUSE (beef jerky in eight flavors, beef and pork sticks, steak bites, kippered slabs, summer sausage, ketchups, and barbecue sauces made with all USA beef and/or pork) and Laura Beth's (all-natural jams, salsas, dressings, and pickled jar goods, including the Farm & Home Kitchens sub-brand). Products are produced in small batches (approximately 200 gallons at a time) and shipped to 48 states plus Canada, with the IOWA SMOKEHOUSE brand reportedly selling in all 50 states.

The company generates revenue through both wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. The wholesale business operates through shop.preferredwholesaleinc.com, supplying convenience stores, truck stops, grocery chains, farm-and-ranch retailers, hardware and sporting goods stores, and major corporate distribution centers across the U.S., supported by custom wagon rack merchandising displays. Direct-to-consumer sales flow through iowasmokehouse.com. Preferred Wholesale owns and operates its manufacturing and warehouse facilities in Albia, Iowa, including a 10,000 sq. ft. expansion completed in 2018 and a 42,500 sq. ft. office and warehouse facility under construction in the South Albia Industrial Park from 2020 onward, partially financed by a $1,000,000 Rural Economic Development Loan from Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative received in connection with the 2019 Iowa Venture Award.

The company's go-to-market motion combines relationship-based direct sales — historically built through owner-led route selling since 1984 — with content marketing via its company website and trade engagement through the Iowa Area Development Group. Customers are predominantly small and mid-sized retailers across multiple channels, with additional enterprise exposure through major distribution centers of large corporations. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, with 15 new positions planned over three years to support facility expansion, and ownership remains concentrated in the founding Holsman family, which bootstrapped growth organically without institutional capital.

Name

Preferred Wholesale Inc

Legal name

Preferred Wholesale, Inc.

Website

https://preferredwholesaleinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Preferred Wholesale Inc is a family-operated, Albia, Iowa-based wholesale distributor and manufacturer of branded meat snacks (IOWA SMOKEHOUSE) and all-natural jams, salsas, and pickled jar goods (Laura Beth's), supplying retailers and corporate distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Snack Food Manufacturing and Distribution

NAICS

Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Shelf-Stable Packaged Foods Wholesale (Canned, Dry, Snacks) (AFAIABAB)

Keywords

• Branded meat snacks
• Wholesale food distribution
• Jerky and meat sticks
• Jars and condiments
• Snack food wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Albia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. IOWA SMOKEHOUSE Products: Wholesale and retail sales of jerky and meat snacks (beef jerky, beef & pork sticks, steak bites, kippered slabs, summer sausage) under the IOWA SMOKEHOUSE brand. Products include ketchups and barbecue sauces.
2. Laura Beth's Products: Wholesale and retail sales of all-natural jams, salsas, dressings, and pickled goods under the Laura Beth's brand. Includes Farm & Home Kitchens product line.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Preferred Wholesale Inc manufactures and distributes branded snack and pantry products under two primary brands: IOWA SMOKEHOUSE (jerky, meat sticks, steak bites, kippered slabs, summer sausage, ketchups, and barbecue sauces made with all USA beef and/or pork) and laura beth's (all-natural jams, salsas, dressings, and pickled jar goods). Products are sold wholesale to retailers and directly to consumers, shipping to 48 states and Canada.

Product overview

Preferred Wholesale Inc is a family-operated wholesale food distribution company offering a portfolio of two branded food product lines: IOWA SMOKEHOUSE (jerky, meat snacks, ketchups, and barbecue sauces) and laura beth's (all-natural jams, salsas, and pickled goods), with an additional sub-brand Farm & Home Kitchens. Products are distributed through retail and wholesale channels to 48 states and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IOWA SMOKEHOUSE: Line of jerky and meat snacks including beef jerky in 8 flavors, beef & pork sticks, steak bites, kippered slabs, and summer sausage. Features old-fashioned country fresh market look with black and white labels.
• laura beth's
• Farm & Home Kitchens

Products and services

• IOWA SMOKEHOUSE Line of jerky and meat snacks including beef jerky in 8 flavors, beef and pork meat sticks, steak bites, kippered slabs, summer sausage, plus ketchups and barbecue sauces. Made with all USA beef and/or pork; designed for convenience stores, truck stops, grocery stores, and specialty retailers.
• laura beth's All-natural line of jams, salsas, dressings, and pickled jar goods with home-cooked farm kitchen quality. Includes jams (Apple Butter, Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, etc.), regular salsas (Chunky Mild, Medium, Habanero Hot), specialty salsas (Mango, Peach, Pineapple), and pickled items like Sweet Baby Beets.
• Farm & Home Kitchens Sub-brand offering all-natural jams, salsas, and pickled jar goods with an old-fashioned country aesthetic targeted at farm, ranch, and home retail outlets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products shipped to 48 states and Canada
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Iowa Area Development Group (IADG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IADG and their utility partners annually recognize businesses making big impacts on their communities through the Iowa Venture Award program. Preferred Wholesale Inc received the 2019 Iowa Venture Award and was added to the Iowa Venture Award Hall of Fame, joining 272 other businesses recognized over 32 years.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preferred-wholesale-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Preferred Wholesale Inc