Citizen of the West George Eidsness lives by the West’s unwritten moral code

Very few people embody the spirit of the West quite like George Eidsness.

From his upbringing in northeastern North Dakota to building Transwest automotive group into a diverse group of businesses, Eidsness hasn’t forgotten the simple rules that make the Western way of life so special.

And after more than 70 years of unrelenting hard work and a “fix-anything-with-a-pocket-knife” type of resilience, Eidsness has earned the honor of being named the 2026 Citizen of the West from the National Western Stock Show.

The award “recognizes those who embody the spirit and determination of the Western pioneer — a true representative of the Western lifestyle, ideals, agricultural heritage and traditions,” according to the stock show’s website.

“It’s pretty humbling,” Eidsness said. “Like a friend of mine said, ‘You’re walking in pretty tall cotton.’ A lot of great people before me have received it, and to be put in a class with them is a real honor.”

Raised on a wheat farm near Brocket, N.D., that spirit was instilled in him at a young age. He took it with him to the University of North Dakota, where he earned a degree in business, then to Fargo, N.D., where he spent 17 years wearing a number of different hats at a local dealership.

In 1990, he and his wife, Barbara, bought Transwest Trucks, a Commerce City dealership that had been in business for just 18 months at the time. In the 35 years since, Transwest has grown exponentially, now with 25 locations across the western United States and Canada. Its dealerships specialize in service, sales and parts for the heavy-duty truck, trailer, automotive and recreational vehicle industries.

As Transwest began to quickly expand, Eidsness and his wife decided they needed a little room to stretch their legs as well — both professionally and personally.

In 1996, Eidsness acquired Steamboat Lake Outfitters and the Flying E Ranch.

“We were going to build a new house in town (Westminster), but decided that city life wasn’t really what we wanted,” Eidsness said. “We wanted to be out in the country and had an opportunity to buy an 80-acre parcel of land near Fort Lupton.”