Salem Chamber Podcast - Episode 15 - Bill Riecke

In this episode, Tom sits down with Bill Riecke II, Owner of Bark Boys, Inc., which was honored as the Salem Chamber’s Business of the Year in 2023. Along with sharing what that recognition means to him and his team, Bill talks about growing up in Salem, his time serving our country as a United States Marine after 9/11, his career with Empire Southwest in Arizona, and why he decided to leave that promising career for a return to Salem to run his family’s longstanding landscaping supply business.

Although Bill often jokes that he’s simply a “truck driver,” the Salem community knows him to be so much more. In this episode, we learn how he developed his leadership skills, mindset, and philosophy, which he now utilizes in running one of our community’s incredible family-run business success stories. Bill’s success story proves that hard work and dedication pay off, but that success also comes with a responsibility to serve the community. Hear how Bill and his company give back to Salem and continue to invest in positive outcomes with our community's future at the heart of all they do.

This episode was recorded before Bill’s father and former Bark Boys owner for more than 40 years, Bill H. Riecke, passed away at the age of 67. The Salem Chamber and the Salem business community send their condolences to the Riecke family. 

The Salem Chamber is a 501 C (6) not-for-profit organization representing nearly 1,100 businesses in the greater Salem area.

For additional information, visit SalemChamber.org.

The Salem Chamber Podcast is a production by Chamber staff members Lena Prine (Director of Business Advocacy) and Dan Johnson (Marketing & Communications Manager).