This was the first time that Links Snacks has entered the competition.
"He has embraced innovation and turned obstacles into advantages," Kevin Klimara, a partner at Ernst & Young and director of the Wisconsin Entrepreneur of the Year program, told The Milwaukee [image-nocss] Journal Sentinel concerning Link.
Using the family's beef jerky recipe, he started the business in 1985, selling products out of the back of his pickup truck. Since then, he has built the business, operating from Minong, a small town in northern Wisconsin, to a dominant position in the U.S. in the beef jerky category, said the report.
One example of Link's creativity in solving a problem: Years ago, he was making and selling kippered beef and shipping it in half-filled trailers because there were not enough orders to fill the truck. He created a sausage product that combined sausage and cheese in one package and filled the other half of the truck with the new product.
The Upper Midwest program recognizes companies based in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. An independent judging panel made up of regional business, academic and community leaders selected the nominees and winners.
The Entrepreneur of the Year program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November. The overall national U.S. winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year title in June.
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.
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