The McClellan family started Hardware Sales, formerly Powder Sales, in 1962, specializing in sales of dynamite to loggers, miners, and road builders. In 1971, the owners expanded the business and moved across the street, changing the name to Hardware Sales. This family-owned and operated business became an integral part of its small Washington state community as the one-stop hardware store. Through the years, the business grew, gaining recognition by providing personalized customer service and fair prices.

Ben’s career in the music industry began in 2003 after graduating from the University of Miami with a degree in music business. He moved to Vermont where he and his current business partner managed a voice over demo production company. In 2010 while watching the sunset at Yosemite National Park and contemplating the next step in life, Ben and his business partner decided to start a Vintage Guitar shop. They joined in with Ben’s brother who had been buying and selling guitars on the side for a few years.

In 2000, Steve Acree was a college graduate, waiting tables, and still trying to decide what he wanted to do with his life. He decided to start selling some speaker parts on eBay to make some extra money on the side. However his sales began to grow. Steve realized that he could turn this extra cash into a business that provided quality products at a fraction of traditional retail prices.

David Lahme started his career in media and advertising sales before diving into the computer industry. He joined a national value added reseller, as a National Account Executive selling technology products and integrated services such as eCommerce platforms. His successful sales career and leadership led David to be recruited to join a business-to-business software company, where he served as the Director of Sales. David often found himself getting involved with strategic initiatives such as policies and procedures, and identifying new markets. yet David wanted more.

Andrew Borakove, owner of Gongs Unlimited, began the journey of launching his own business in 2004. At the time, he was working in Hollywood as a comedy writer, and decided to try his hand in online retail. While sitting at the beach, he came up with the idea of selling gongs. Shortly thereafter, he began selling gongs online to customers around the world. Since it would be difficult for a brick and mortar store to support such a niche product, the online marketplace has been essential to Andrew’s success.

Jon Golberg first started Outdoor Bunker in 1979 as an agricultural exporting business. About eight years ago, Jon decided to partner with another North Dakota businessman and they repurposed the business to focus on selling a variety of hunting, camping, and survival gear. Since 2006 the business has flourished, expanding the product line, moving into a larger space and hiring more employees. They started out with very limited resources, operating out of a basement, and now have expanded into a storefront and warehouse totaling 45,000 square feet.

Thirteen years ago Colleen's husband Jeff got a job offer and the Rast family relocated from the Philadelphia area to Montana. Unfortunately, Colleen had difficulty finding a job in her field of Project Management. Because she was unwilling to travel extensively and leave her family behind for the sake of a job, she began buying and selling items on eBay, mostly as a hobby. However, what started as just a hobby quickly grew into a small business for Colleen. Then her husband's company closed due to the economic downturn, so the couple decided to take Great Sky Gifts Inc. to the next level.