Small business gets advice to market fruit wood for barbecues

By Nevonne McDaniels, Wenatchee Business Journal

CoatesWENATCHEE, Wash. – After two years of work and free business counsel, Bob’s Smokin’ Hardwood is gearing up to sell lengths of fruit wood – cherry, pear and apple – for use in meat and fish smokers.

As he developed the idea for the company, owner Bob Coates sought advice from Jim Fletcher at the Washington Small Business Development Center in Wenatchee.

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Pieces of fruit wood are clean and waiting for processing. (Photos from Wenatchee Business Journal)

“I first wanted to make sure I wasn’t insane and this was doable,” Coates said. “And then I wanted help navigating the waters.”

The Washington SBDC (http://www.wsbdc.org) receives support from Washington State University, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other institutions of economic development and higher education. SBDC certified business advisors provide no-cost, one-to-one confidential advising to small business owners who want to start, grow or transition a business.

Read the complete Wenatchee Business Journal article here.