2015
WIB
Page 6
Women in Business ■ 2015
IDAHOCOUNTYFREEPRESS.COM
Mountain River Outfitters: Brenda Baugh
Rivers make for busy-ness year-round BY DAVID RAUZI, EDITOR IDAHO COUNTY FREE PRESS
2015
RIGGINS — Great boats and the best equipment: The river guiding business relies on having top-quality gear. But for Brenda Baugh, owner of Mountain River Outfitters (MRO) in Riggins, more important are the employees you hire to represent your business. “Our focus is on our guide staff,” she said. You can have the best and latest equipment, “but if you don’t have the best quality guides to pull it off, you don’t have anything.” On average, MRO’s guides have between five to 10 years of experience, with most returning to work the season year after year. “They’ve been working with us for years,” she said, “and are the best guides on the river.” Brenda and her husband, Jess, have owned the business for 11 years, and they hire about 30 employees during the busy summer season. The business provides from halfday to six-day rafting trips on the Salmon River (Main Salmon, Riggins section and Lower Salmon), Owyhee and Hells Canyon. They do drift boat fishing for steelhead, bass and salmon on the Salmon River, and trips in Hells Canyon and on the Salmon River for steelhead, salmon, bass, trout and sturgeon; and tours in a 28-foot jet boat. “I’m busy year-round,” she said, of
WIB
Mountain River Outfitters Brenda Baugh, co-owner 411 North Main Street Riggins, ID 83549 208-628-3733 1-888-547-4837 rafting trips visit: WWW.IDahORIveR.cOM fishing trips visit: WWW.MtNRIveROutfItteRS.cOM
FREE PRESS / DAVID RAUZI
Brenda Baugh is shown here in front of the Mountain River Outdoor Center on Riggins’ Main Street.
the rafting season from May to September, and fishing nonstop throughout the year. They also operate Mountain River Outdoor Center, a Main Street retail shop that offers organic espresso, pastries, souvenirs, rafting gear, and also a place to meet up with their clients. This business is a good fit for the couple, especially for Jess, who has been a fishing guide for more than 20 years. Prior to this, Baugh worked in medical billing, a job she felt, “is not as much fun as this is.” “We wanted to live in Riggins and wanted to raise our kids here, so we knew we’d have to figure out a way to make a living here,” she said. The couple built the business in stages that soon snowballed, “to where we are today.” The couple has three children: Renea Holland, 25, who works for Suttler/CBiz in Lewiston; Brant Baugh, 18, a Salmon River High
“W
e wanted to live in Riggins ... we had to figure out how to make a living here.” — Brenda Baugh on having a diversified family business in Riggins
School grad currently working for the State of Colorado in Aspen; and Payton Baugh, 15, a sophomore at SRHS this year involved in football. The family has enjoyed living in Riggins, she said, where you can raft all summer and ski all winter.
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“It’s different,” she said, on balancing family and business. “Our busy time is during the kids’ summer vacation, and our kids have definitely grown up working for the family business.” So the couple has tried to
offset that with ski trips and vacations during the off-season. Service industries keep the focus on their clients; Baugh is no different, noting these are more than just trips for their customers, these are their vacations. They come from all over the world to enjoy the scenic beauty of the region. “We really want our customers to feel like they’ve had a very unique, customized experience,” she said. “Whether it’s a half-day or a six-day See Outfitters, Page 7
Mike Fredrickson
Todd Marek
“We wish to express our gratitude to all our female employees and clients for their continued dedication to our success.”
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