Missoula Company, The Milky Whey, Inc./TMW International, Inc. of Missoula Named SBA’s Montana Exporter of the Year SBA’s Region VIII Exporter of the Year SBA’s National 2nd Runner-up Exporter of the Year

The Milky Whey, Inc./TMW International, Inc. http://www.themilkywhey.com/ of Missoula has been named SBA’s 2009 Montana Exporter of the Year, the SBA Region VIII Exporter of the Year, and the National 2nd Runner-up Exporter of the Year. The company will be honored at SBA’s annual awards luncheon in Missoula on June 5, 2009, along with a cast of other outstanding award winners.

Curt Pijankowski started The Milky Whey, Inc. in 1993, in Ithaca, NY, but several years later decided to relocate to Missoula. Today, The Milky Whey, Inc./TMW International, Inc. is a thriving global trading company that buys and sells items such as nonfat dry milk, whole milk powder, buttermilk powder, whey powder, whey proteins, bulk butter and condensed milk and cream to companies that manufacture food and feed products for public consumption.

What differentiates The Milky Whey, Inc./TMW International, Inc. from its competitors is superior customer service – they make an aggressive effort to understand how the commodity and financial markets are doing, and what direction the markets are heading, and they counsel their clients on when to order so they can get the best price.

With the success of the company in the U.S. and Canada, Pijankowski decided in 2000, to expand their marketing efforts beyond North America. The company’s net worth has increased 746% since 2005, largely due to the company’s export activities and they have grown to ten employees.

Other 2009 award winners include:

Tim and Suzy O’Leary, The Kettlehouse Brewing Company, Missoula – Montana Small Business Persons of the Year;

Morrison-Maierle, Inc. of Helena – Montana and Region VIII Entrepreneurial Success Award and National First Runner-up Entrepreneurial Success Award;

Alpine Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Billings – Family Owned Small Business of the Year;

James Drummond, Stockman Bank, Bozeman – Financial Services Champion of the Year;

Mike Leinen, Independence Bank, Poplar – Minority Small Business Champion of the Year;

Tom Howard, Billings Business, Billings – Montana and Region VIII Small Business Journalist Champion of the Year;

Prospera Business Network, Bozeman – Women in Business Champions of the Year;

Shelley Lighter, SAL Design, Great Falls – Home-based Business Champion of the Year;

and City of Sidney, MT – Small Business Community of the Year.

Carey Hester of the Montana Export Assistance Center and Amita Patel of the Missoula Small Business Development Center nominated the Milky Whey, Inc./TMW International, Inc. for this award.

For more information, please contact the SBA’s Montana District Office at 406.441.1081