Made In PC: Cookshack

Story and photos by Laina Smith/Staff Writer

Many things probably come to mind when people think of Ponca City, Oklahoma. Some think of recreational facilities such as Kaw Lake and the many campsites. Others probably think of the many landmarks the city has to offer, such as the Marland Mansion. Most, however, probably think of all the excellent food the town has to offer, including barbecue.

Gene Ellis loved to barbecue and knew he wanted to create an easier way for people to cook the food he loved. So in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, he came up with the idea of cutting out a box from metal and using it to smoke the meat.

“I actually have a smoker that Gene Ellis made in 1958,” Cookshack CEO Stuart Powell said. “So he was at it long before he incorporated the business.”

“He loved true barbecue,” Powell said. “Back in those days, that was a laborious, time-consuming thing because you had to create a fire. Get it down. Then tend to it for 12-14 hours while you’re cooking meat, so he was trying to make it easier.”

Ellis and his family lived on a farm in Red Rock, Oklahoma. But, when he got into manufacturing and decided to continue making smokers, Ellis knew he needed a more extensive community to accomplish that task, and Ponca City was it.

Incorporated in 1963, Cookshack smokers have contributed to restaurants and backyard barbecues of Ponca City and now all over the world.

The company started in a building on Ash Street in Ponca City but has since outgrown that facility. CEO Stuart Powell, who bought into the business after Gene and his wife died, was able to go to the City of Ponca and ask for a larger facility. So now the company sits at 2405 Sykes Boulevard in Ponca City, near the airport.

“This has been a really good move for us,” Powell said. “Hopefully, it helps Ponca City also.” Cookshack is mainly known for manufacturing commercial and residential electric smoker ovens.

“It’s what Gene came up with back in the early ‘60s,” Powell said. “We’ve manufactured those ever since.”

The commercial unit is mainly sold to and used by restaurants, grocery stores and smaller, independent barbecue houses.

“Our best customer is a restaurant that wants to add barbecue to their menu,” Powell said. “We always perform better in that marketplace.”

The electric residential unit Cookshack produces is a home-use unit customers can use to barbecue in their backyard. They also do well in the hunting and fishing industry.

“We aren’t the cheapest product,” Powell said. “Our demographic is someone with over $100,000 in income a year. Our average customer is in the latter part of their life, probably 40 and above.”

Because of COVID-19, the business has seen an increase in younger people who are starting to utilize outdoor spaces for cooking. They have also seen a rise due to people renovating outdoor spaces.

As the business grows, Cookshack has started manufacturing other products such as pellet fire smokers, grills, char-broilers and pizza ovens. They also manufacture rubs, spices and sauces. Now Cookshack is manufacturing a commercial aggregate tumbler and hydraulic tanks, all contractually manufactured.

Cookshack employee Dennis Meloy is going over the company’s new aggregate tumbler plans with a fellow employee Scott Gurnee. Meloy is an assembler at Cookshack from Newkirk.