IF Auditorium District gives Shelley business interior naming rights to its new center

SHELLEY – The Idaho Falls Auditorium District announced Golden Valley Natural’s Hero brand jerky would be the interior sponsor of the proposed Mountain America Event Center in Idaho Falls for the next 20 years. 

Rob Spear, executive director of the Idaho Falls Auditorium District (IFAD), announced Golden Valley Natural’s new line of Hero brand jerky would be the interior sponsor of the new Mountain America Center to be constructed in Idaho Falls.  “The center will be known as the Hero Arena at the Mountain America Center,”  Spear said to a small press gathering at the company’s Shelley processing plant May 3.

The naming rights came with a $2,000,000 donation from Golden Vallely Natural to IFAD. “This and other donations move us forward in narrowing the funding gap to start construction of the facility,” said Rob Spear. “Other funding will come from private boxes and reserved seat sales.” 

The proposed facility is slated for construction at a 22.25-acre site, northeast of Pioneer Road and Event Center Drive, in the Snake River Landing Development of Idaho Falls.  The streets, infrastructure, and site work are completed at the construction site.

“We recently completed the bid process and have a guaranteed maximum price for the property,” said Terri Gazdik, board chair for IFAD. “Early construction and investment went into infrastructure to make the construction site ready for the building.  We now have our management team in place.  Kevin Green of Centennial Management will operate the facility.  The point is that our team is ready. 

The major hurdle for constructing the facility has been the funding of the project. IFAD’s financing capacity is set by State statute.  The project’s primary revenue source is through motel and hotel taxes. “Private donations must fill the gap between the cost of the facility and the revenue generated by taxes and seat sales,” Gazdik said. 

Golden Valley brings the center one step closer to becoming a reality. “The financial gap is narrowing rapidly with this and other donations, Spears told Community Pioneer. 

Once completed, the new center will be home to a NA3 Junior Hockey Team. An American Tier III junior ice hockey league consists of teams from Massachusetts to Montana. The two closest States with teams is Wyoming and Montana.

Hero Jerky is a new product launched by Golden Valley Natural in 2017.     Golden Valley Natural has its roots in King B jerky, which was started in 1968 by Roger Ball. “Hero is a special brand for us, not only because of the quality of the product, but also because a portion of every bag we sell goes to support the Fisher House Foundation,” Ben Ball, CEO of Golden Valley Natural, said. “[Fisher] supports military personnel’s family members while they are in the hospital.” 

The product also funds the reality show Military Makeover with Montel Williams. 

Golden Valley Natural constructed a new processing plant in Shelley in 2015.  During the press briefing, Ben Ball thanked the city of Shelley and Mayor Pascoe and the community as a whole for helping them construct the facility in the city.