Dean’s Distributing was founded in March 2002 by Dean R. Hoeck and purchased by Troy and Shelly Spanu in 2021. Over the last few decades, Dean’s has earned a reputation for specializing in the highest quality brands of meat and other specialty products that are not always available through other food distributors and providing unparalleled customer service for our retailers. Over the years, we have grown our meat distributor business to incorporate an in-house broker, Glacier Gourmet Marketing, as well as our URM cross dock services.

Troy and Shelly have each spent decades in the food industry, journeys that eventually intertwined, leading them to become both business and life partners. Shelly, born and raised in the dairy industry, transitioned into meat distribution in 1997 and eventually joined Dean’s Distributing. Dean & Shelly knew each other from working together in the past, and in February 2003, Dean and his business partner Mark Spleiss asked Shelly to join the company. Shelly started out running the office, running invoices, paying the bills and doing payroll.  In 2012, she began working on the sales side and building business from there. Mark retired and Shelly took on more of the accounts that he was working with.

Troy dedicated nearly 30 years to working with large food distributors in Oregon before moving to Spokane and joining Dean’s Distributing. Troy left Western Boxed Meats in Portland and moved to Spokane to join Dean’s in September 2018. As coworkers, Troy and Shelly founded Glacier Gourmet Marketing. Their partnership flourished, and they were married in 2019. Dean retired when he sold the company to Shelly & Troy in January 2021. The merger of Glacier Gourmet Marketing and Dean’s Distributing, combined with their extensive knowledge and experience, enables them to provide unparalleled service and high-quality products to the retailers they serve and the brands they represent.