More than 100 people took part in Friday’s celebratory luncheon for the three brothers behind ProTech Fence in Shelley being recognized for their excellence in business.

ProTech Fence’s owners were named the Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year for 2026 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Owners Dallin, Morgan and Scott Jolley were recognized for their achievement during National Small Business Week events in Washington, D.C., as well as in Boise and at company headquarters in Shelley.

“I’m very honored to receive an award with my partners who just happen to be my brothers,” Dallin said. “We were all surprised. Kind of ‘Do we deserve an award like this as a company.’

“But we look at our culture and our teams and what we’ve built here starting from two parents and the lifestyle of family,” Dallin said. “We’re proud of it. We realize it’s something to celebrate. Our support from the industry with SBA and the impact that we’ve had and they’ve had with us has created tons of jobs. We feel great, honored and stoked for it.”

“It’s a recognition of building small businesses in a community where it does a lot of good for the economy here,” Morgan said. “It means that we’re employing local people who have good paying jobs.”

ProTech Fence is a top-rated, family-owned company specializing in custom residential and commercial fencing solutions, including vinyl, wood, chain link, and steel, operating in the area for more than 25 years.

In addition to the Shelley headquarters, ProTech has locations in Pocatello and Rigby.

According to Dallin, they have customers stretching about three hours in all directions from Shelley. The supply side of the company stretches out to five hours.

“At our peak season we employ between 50 to 60 employees and then year round we still have a drastic amount,” Dallin said. “We keep on as many as we can to support the families who support us all year.”

Company expansion may be on the horizon.

“We’re looking at some other locations right now,” Dallin said. “We’re really focusing on building out the locations that we’re in. But we have some in mind that we’re going to be pursuing.”

One reason for the company’s success are the builders in Shelley and Idaho Falls.

“There are a lot of fantastic builders that we’re lucky enough to associate with, and they buy products from our supply company,” Dallin said.

The Jolley brothers took over ownership of the business from their parents, Bryan and Tamera, in 2017.

“It’s built on the core principles of family,” Dallin said. “Mom and dad started the business before my partners and I purchased it. When you stick to honest true family-oriented things, it creates a good culture and that’s where it comes from.”

Creating a good environment for employees is equally important.

“I want to make it a business that creates an opportunity for families to make careers where they like to go to work,” Dallin said. “Because not everybody loves their jobs, and we know that.

“I said you have to love your job here, if not sit down with me and I’ll help you find a job elsewhere. I don’t want you ever unhappy. We’re gonna work till we all die. Let’s enjoy it.”

ProTech typically hires five to eight high school students each summer, teaching them valuable work skills and instilling a strong work ethic.

“It’s really cool,” Dallin said of young people wanting to work at ProTech.

“They’ve heard of the culture,” Dallin said. “They’ve heard of who the owners are. I’m most proud of that. That means I did my job to create a healthy work environment, because digging holes is not necessarily fun.”

Kyle Jensen, VP and business banker at Zions Bank in Idaho Falls and Eastern Idaho, and Malcolm Hong, Zions assistant VP and public relations officer, nominated the Jolley brothers for the award.

“I work with a lot of people,” Jensen said. “They exemplify a lot of characteristics that make good business owners. They have integrity. They’re honest. They work hard. When I first started working with them they had five employees and now they have over 50.”

Shelley Mayor Kim Westergard spoke about what the honor meant.

“Awards like this do not happen by accident,” Westergard said. “They are built through long hours or sacrifice, leadership, vision and commitment to doing things the right way. They represent the very best of what small town America looks like.

“They are showing young people what is possible though determination and entrepreneurship,” Westergard said. “Communities thrive when they have business leaders who care about them more than profit.”