Bees Beyond Borders: SBA’s 2024 Rocky Mountain Regional Exporter of the Year Is Big Lost Meadery
SBA Office of International Trade
Our mission is to enhance the ability of small businesses to compete in the global marketplace.
Big Lost Meadery was founded by Sam Clikeman 2014 in Gillette, Wyoming. The company is a mead manufacturer specializing in handmade honey alcohol, somewhere between a wine and a liqueur. Clikeman, born and raised in Gillette, spent most of his life in the firefighting profession but got involved in home brewing and brewed his first batch of mead in 2009. Later, with his co-owner, Hewitt Gaffney Doe, Big Lost Meadery was founded with the intention to share the Wyoming-made mead with the world.??
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With the help of the SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant to get started selling abroad, Big Lost established its initial contact in Taiwan through the State of Wyoming's Asia-Pacific Trade Office. The STEP grant has helped the company alleviate the cost of attending trade shows and establishing connections in Taiwan. It has also provided education to further develop the company's growth in the international market.??
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Exports have provided myriad benefits to the company. Big Lost projected export sales to be 9.1% of gross sales in 2023 with its Taiwan market to grow by 200% in 2024, laying the groundwork for future export programs in Thailand, Hong Kong, Northern and Eastern Europe. Exports have also increased the company's professionalism and increased the overall legitimacy of mead within the domestic market.?
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As the 2024 SBA Rocky Mountain Regional Exporter of the Year award, Big Lost Meadery showcases a small companies' potential to survive and thrive amidst global competition through innovative strategies and steadfast commitment.??
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Learn more about all of our 2024 Regional Winners here: SBA’s 2024 Regional Exporters of the Year?
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STEP provides financial awards to state and territory governments to assist small businesses with export development.?STEP helps small businesses overcome obstacles to exporting by providing grants to cover costs associated with entering and expanding into international markets. To learn more about the national STEP program as well as how to apply to your local state or territory, visit www.sba.gov/STEP now.?