Cox’s Honey named June Small Business of the Month 

Cox’s Honey has been making life a little sweeter for almost 100 years. The company began in 1927 when Orville Cox started selling honey from his roadside vegetable stand leading from Idaho Falls to Yellowstone. Now in its third generation of ownership, the Cox family holds true to its roots of creating raw, unfiltered clover honey. In fact, the company and its 16 full-time employees package a million pounds of honey each year. It has also become famous for its creamed honey, which uses a controlled form of granulation.  

Adding to its already long list of awards and as a winner of competitions, in June of this year, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho and senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, selected Cox’s Honey as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2022.  

“I commend the Cox family for preserving a century-old family tradition,” said Risch in a press release. “Your great work is a testament to the sweet treasures of Idaho’s agricultural industry.” 

Throughout the years, Cox’s Honey has become renowned for not only its flavor, but for its consistency.  

“Our customers know that they will get a delicious bottle or tub of honey every time they purchase Cox’s Honey,” said Adam French, chief financial officer at the company. “The delicate processing of our honey has only slightly changed over the past 90 years.” 

The Cox’s process is part of what makes it unique. Each bottle of honey is U.S. Grade A. During the packaging process, it is gently warmed, and gravity fed through a mesh screen. This hands-on method won’t filter out any purities and ensures that the product is filled with healthy pollen, live enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients.  

The company raises its bees, but when it needs to source other honey, it partners with other local beekeepers to ensure the same kind of honey goes into every bottle.  

“Keeping our bees healthy and strong will help the ecosystems in which they reside in southeastern Idaho and western Idaho,” explained French. “We also support many other beekeepers by purchasing their honey to sell. By staying true to our roots, we can show that perseverance and hard work can make any business a success.” 

Cox’s Honey states it is also committed to giving back to surrounding communities.  

French said, “We know that supporting our local community is vital to helping overall. We give a lot to our local schools because our kids are our greatest resource in Idaho. Helping them develop talents and skills will only benefit Idaho’s future.” 

Looking ahead at the future of the company, he shared that it is exploring some new company partnerships that will allow the company to further improve its product line or introduce new items. 

Cox’s Honey also recently added a new retail sales floor in Shelley to help accommodate the local sales that continue to grow.  

“The response has been amazing,” said French. “We not only provide a place to pick up our delicious honey, but we have stocked it with other locally sourced items such as soaps and lotions, herbs and salves, ‘bee’ themed accessories, and a gift-wrapping station for that perfect gift.  It is so important for Idahoans to support local businesses. Visit your local business and spend your money there. It will only benefit us all in the end.”