09/15/2005
|
|
|
NFIB/Iowa State Director Dave Brasher with Loyal and Karen Tullius at Stampede Products. |
Almost three years ago, Karen and Loyal Tullius received a visit from a pair of NFIB representatives seeking signatures on a petition for affordable health care for small business.
"I said, 'Are we the only two who can sign?' They said, 'No.' So I told all our employees about it, and they all signed," says Karen Tullius, co-owner (with her husband) of Stampede Products, a manufacturer of specialty pick-up truck accessories. "We joined NFIB that day."
The Tulliuses were selling franchises, training people how to restore, repair, and recolor car interiors for car dealers. They had 25 franchisees across the country. When the automotive aftermarket business outgrew the franchise business it was sold.
An acquaintance brought a project to us to build molds for bug shields. He had orders from several companies. Loyal began building molds. When we shipped the first orders we discovered he had already collected the checks up front. We worked 15-hour days, seven days a week for 5 years. Thus, Stampede Products was born!
Though Stampede was born in Minnesota, the Tulliuses moved it -- and their family -- to Iowa, where savings in workers' compensation costs alone were enough to purchase land and facilities for the business.
Over the last 16 years, they've been able to grow Stampede Products significantly, outperforming -- and outlasting -- many of their larger competitors. The company now boasts a broad range of licensed truck products, which it designs and manufactures in-house, and 55 employees, including the Tulliuses daughter, son-in-law, two granddaughters and two grandsons.
"They all start in production," Tullius explains. "Working here is a great opportunity for them because they're learning how to work, so they can learn what they don't want to do for the rest of their lives."
Tullius notes that by the time many young people enter the workforce, they haven't learned how to take on responsibility: "People are falling through the cracks. They often don't have even basic skills -- they haven't learned the importance of showing up on time, and they don't necessarily want to work. It's something every employer in the country struggles with."
She believes small business plays a key role in combating that trend, however, by creating opportunities where people have a stake in the business's success, where co-workers are like family, even when they're not blood relatives. That's part of the reason she is committed to NFIB.
"NFIB is a place to discuss and make a difference about things that affect small business," she explains, noting that her hot-button issues are insurance costs and, above all, education. She and Loyal currently serve on the Davenport Area Action Council, and they are looking at ways to take a more active role in NFIB/Iowa's Leadership Council. "It's hard when you're running a business," she concedes, but she believes such participation is important because it helps ensure that the small-business voice is heard.
"When we started out, we had 17 competitors; now we have four. Many of them were focused on doing business through the major chains, so we let them have the chains. We focused on gaining one customer at a time, not on becoming a big corporation, and we have kept our focus on taking care of the customers we have." The result? "We have very loyal, traditional warehouse customers, many which are family-owned." We also sell to retail and catalogue customers such as Cabela's.
Stampede Products also produces products conducive to the hunting market. We are the only company producing truck accessories in Mossy Oak and Real Tree patterns. The new addition to our products is a hunting blind with towers
The Tulliuses' business strategy -- and their ethics -- has positioned them for sustainable growth and a good working environment. It's an achievement that benefits their community, as well as the next generations, who are learning skills and valuable lessons as Stampede employees.
