Small Business Success Story: Meriwether Cider

The Leadbetter family hasn’t shied away from adventure in life.

Dad Gig has been a smokejumper and Denali guide, mom Ann has been an Alaskan timber surveyor, firefighter and English professor. Daughter Molly and Kate have both been wildland firefighters (helirappler and hotshot, respectively) and they both love running in the foothills with their dogs.

That zest for taking on challenging — and slightly risky — endeavors could be why they’ve enjoyed success on their entrepreneurial journey as owners of Boise’s Meriwether Cider Co.

We spoke with Ann about how this close-knit family avoids stepping on each other’s toes, how they foster a customer-centric culture and how they juggle the demands of being a manufacturer, a retailer and a wholesaler.

What was the biggest blind spot on your journey to small business owner?

Thinking of a name is hugely hard. Don’t assume that your name isn’t already taken. We did a whole Kickstarter campaign and party and merch with our name that turned out to not be our name.

Everything takes longer than you think it’s going to take. It took us nine months to get our alcohol permit. We were paying rent without being able to open.

Name one thing that prepared you for being a small business owner.

My husband was a home brewer for 30 years, so he had a lot of experience. He hadn’t done cider necessarily, but he knew about sanitation and knew all the pitfalls when someone tries to make a fermented beverage. He was able to create something that tasted pretty good right off the bat.

One of our daughters is very much tech savvy and she does our marketing and our social media — she’s a whiz at that kind of thing.

Our other daughter is completely the opposite but is super creative. All her ideas are money makers.

My job is to do anything that no one else will do, such as applying for our equipment loans, applying for permits, paying taxes and doing our banking. Those are all things that I do because I can. It just takes plugging away.

What’s your best tip for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Talk to other entrepreneurs. Talk to other people in your industry. Ask how they did it. Use the internet.

You can’t look at things from a great distance and not get discouraged. You have an oppressive amount of details to take care of, but all you can do is a little every day and plug away as systematically as you can.

What role has Zions Bank played in your journey?

When we were looking to bring our bottling operations in-house, we used an equipment loan from Zions Bank to fund the expansion.

By purchasing our own bottling line, we were able to transition to a smaller bottle in line with industry standards. And now we’re going to own the equipment outright for roughly the same annual cost as outsourcing the work.

Our bankers Shaun Kelley and Steve Tramleasure were helpful, and they knew what they were doing. It’s unpleasant to do financials — there are hoops to jump through and documents to dig out and provide. But it was as smooth as it could have been.

Looking to follow in Ann’s footsteps and start a business? Zions Bank offers online tools including business templates, columns, videos and financial calculators. Our Business Resource Centers in Salt Lake City and Boise provide counseling and training for entrepreneurs.

Visit a Zions Bank branch or locate a banker near you to learn more about financing including SBA loans* and equipment loans**.

*All loans subject to credit approval; terms and conditions apply. SBA approval required. See a local branch for details.

**Equipment lease financing is subject to credit approval. Certain criteria apply. See a specialist for details. Equipment lease financing is offered through Zions Credit Corporation, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation, N.A.