Business of the year
It’s too bad the 1,300 employees of Sun Valley Company
couldn’t hear the speech of general manager Wally Huffman when he accepted the
Business of the Year Award last week. They would have loved it.
The award was presented by the Sun Valley Ketchum Chamber of Commerce to
the Sun Valley Company at its annual awards dinner.
Huffman got a job with Sun Valley when it was still owned by the Union
Pacific Railroad. He offered up funny stories about his professional evolution over more
than 30 years from dishwasher to mountain manager to general manager. He traced
development of the resort from the railroad years, through ownership by skier/developer
Bill Janss, to current owner Earl Holding, a hotel and oil magnate.
Huffman ended with a heartfelt and generous accolade not often heard from
Sun Valley Company executives. He accepted the award for all of the employees who, year in
and year out, day in and day out, come to work, make the beds, plant the gardens, serve
the meals, pour the beer and greet the guests. He praised their hard work and dedication.
He said the award is really theirs.
We thought they should know. The award is well deserved. Sun Valley has
come a long way under Holding’s ownership, but the long-term success of the resort is
utterly dependent on the people Huffman chose to honor in his speech. Congratulations to
all.
