Corridor Native Spring 2018

Homegrown Businesses in the Corridor Spring 2018
HAND
in hand
BoWood partners
use special skills in
woodworking startup
HERE TO STAY
Frontier Co-op thrives in its rural
Iowa roots
FRESHLY-BAKED
BEDS
Lebeda Mattress Factory delivers
straight from factory
KEEP PUSHING
Bug Soother not an easy ascent

FROM THE EDITOR
Spring 2018
Chief Executive Officer & Publisher
John F. Lohman
Vice President
Aspen N. Lohman
Chief Operating Officer & Associate Publisher
Andrea Rhoades
Magazine & Special Projects Editor
Angela Holmes
Writers
Cindy Hadish
Angela Holmes
Emery Styron
Photographer
Brian Draeger
Graphic Design Manager
Becky Lyons
Graphic Designer
Julia Druckmiller
Magazine Media Consultant
Judith Cobb
CBJ Editor
Adam Moore
CBJ Media Consultant
Kelly Meyer
Event Marketing Coordinator
Ashley Levitt
Event Media Consultant
Rhonda Roskos
A place to grow
Yes, we grow a lot of corn here in Iowa. And while we are certainly
proud of our status as an agricultural leader, we are also home
to many more products – some you probably don’t even know
about. Spreading the word about the region’s
homegrown goods and brands was the inspiration
behind Corridor Native.
In the first issue of this twice-yearly magazine,
we take a closer look at several Eastern
Iowa companies ranging in size from one or
two employees to a total staff of around 500
spread across four locations.
A few of the businesses, like BoWood in Vinton,
are just starting out and trying to make a
name for themselves. Others, like Frontier Coop
and Lebeda Mattress, are established brands
Angela Holmes
with customers around the country and the globe.
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the Corridor,
as evidenced by the number of startups operating and receiving
solid support from several area business development centers.
The manufacturing sector remains a top employer in the region
and state, producing billions in exports.
We hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of Corridor Native
and learn more about our thriving business climate. The next
issue will be published in October. If you have any story ideas for
local-based companies – big or small – drop me a line at (319)
665-6397 ext. 309 or angela@corridorbusiness.com.
Marketing & Distribution Manager
Jean Suckow
Contents are registered to Corridor Media Group.
Reproductions or other use, in whole or in part, of the contents
of the publication without permission is strictly prohibited.
Angela Holmes
Editor
2345 Landon Rd., Ste. 100
North Liberty, IA 52317
(319) 665-NEWS (6397)
www.corridorbusiness.com
ON THE COVER
HOMEGROWN
in the Corridor
Corridor Native features
businesses in the 7-county
Corridor region
Benton, Linn, Jones,
Iowa, Johnson, Cedar
and Washington
BoWood, a two-man
startup in Vinton,
specializes in handmade
wooden cutting boards
and kitchen utensils.
2 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

CONTENTS
HERE
TO STAY
Frontier Co-op proud to be
based in rural Iowa
6
PHOTO FRONTIER CO-OP
STARTUP
CULTURE
HOT
Surveying the region’s
entrepreneurial climate
4
HAND IN
HAND
Vinton woodworking
startup looking to grow
10
FRESHLY-
BAKED
BEDS
Lebeda Mattress
delivers directly
from Marion
16
HORTICULTURAL
HIT
MCG BioComposites’ plant
markers find their niche
20
KEEP
PUSHING
Simply Soothing
owners show
no signs of
slowing down
24
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 3

STARTUP
CULTURE
HOT
IN CORRIDOR
By Emery Styron
BY THE NUMBERS
The Marion-based Kirkwood
Small Business Development Center
enjoyed a big 2017:
What economist John Maynard Keynes called “animal spirits” are rampant
in the Corridor, if the traffic through Scott Swenson’s office door is any
indication.
“It was a record year in almost all aspects,” said Swenson, who counseled
380 entrepreneurs and small business owners last year as director of
the SBA’s Marion-based Kirkwood Small Business Development Center.
High points included 30 businesses started, 244 jobs created, $7.6 million
capital invested and sales increases of $12.8 million for the center’s clients.
380 entrepreneurs
30 businesses started
244 jobs created
$7.6 million capital
invested
$12.8 million sales
increases
REGION’S ENTREPRENEURIAL CLIMATE ‘ROBUST’
“One of the main drivers now is the climate for starting a business and the
entrepreneurial culture is exceptionally robust,” Swenson said. Regional
collaboration and partnering by economic development entities is working,
he added. “As people successfully start businesses, others get more
confidence in pursuing their ideas as well.”
Five years ago, most referrals to Kirkwood’s SBDC were from banks,
but now they come from past clients and “almost every economic development
group including the city of Cedar Rapids, University of Iowa, ISU
CIRAS, NewBoCo, the EDC, Kirkwood, the Economic Alliance, NewBo
City Market, Marion and Czech Village/NewBo Main Street programs and
more,” Swenson noted.
Paul Heath, the veteran director of the UI’s Small Business Development
Center, reports activity is running ahead of last year. Just six months
4 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

in, the center has already exceeded fiscal year goals for new businesses created, capital
infusion and clients counseled.
People start businesses for a variety of reasons, but “with unemployment in Johnson County
at 2 percent, it is probably not because they cannot find a job,” Heath observed. TV shows
like “Shark Tank” and resources such as the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center are popular
and help seed startup dreams, he said.
STATE SOWING ITS ECONOMIC OATS
The entrepreneurial vigor stretches beyond the Corridor.
“There has been a record high of new corporation registrations in Iowa in each of the
past two years. We broke the 20,000 mark for the first time in 2016, and that record was
broken again in 2017,” Secretary of State Paul Pate told the CBJ.
“I believe the business climate in Iowa for new business startups is very good right now.
Unemployment is below 3 percent. Businesses continue to add jobs. That’s good news for
everyone,” he added.
Iowa’s rankings in the 2016 Kauffman Index of Main Street Entrepreneurship support
Pate’s observations. The 2016 index was up in all but three states for the first time since
the Great Recession, which lasted from December 2007 to June 2009. Iowa’s sixth-place
ranking of 2.74 among the 25 less populated states was unchanged from 2015.
Scott Swenson
Paul Heath
COMPONENTS OF IOWA’S KAUFFMAN INDEX RANKING
• Business ownership rate: 7.66 percent of the adult population, mid-range between West
Virginia’s low of 4.1 percent and Montana’s high of 10.2 percent.
• Established small business density: 702.7, near the top of the range between Nevada’s low
of 544.3 and Vermont’s high of 707.1. The ratio is calculated by dividing the number of established
small employer businesses by the total employer business population in 1,000s.
STARTUPS ON PAGE 30
Paul Pate
I believe the business climate in
Iowa for new business startups
is very good right now.
Paul Pate, Secretary of State
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 5

Frontier Co-op
3021 78th St.
Norway, IA 52318
www.frontiercoop.com
A Frontier Co-op
employee performs
a quality check on a
product in the bottling
line at the main plant
in Norway. PHOTO
FRONTIER CO-OP
Here
to Stay
Frontier Co-op thrives
in its rural Iowa roots
By Cindy Hadish
Frontier Co-op could have relocated to a trendier location,
but the company remains firmly rooted in rural Iowa.
From its humble beginnings in 1976 in a tiny cabin
along the Wapsipinicon River, Frontier has blossomed
from a two-person operation into a major supplier in the
natural products industry, with nearly 500 employees at
four Iowa locations.
“It was borne out of need and at a time when people were
looking at organic,” Frontier CEO Tony Bedard said, citing
founder Rick Stewart’s initial foray into providing herbs to
6 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

stores in smaller packaging, rather than bulk quantities. “From
the beginning, it was an alternative kind of company.”
Frontier products are sold in major chains across the United
States and Canada, including Target, Hy-Vee, Safeway,
Kroger and many smaller outlets, such as New Pioneer Food
Co-op in the Corridor, and in pockets of other countries.
The co-op’s Simply Organic cinnamon and pure vanilla
extract are among its biggest sellers, but Frontier offers thousands
of other products, including new bottled spices, such
as Ancho Chili Powder from dried and ground poblano
chili peppers, and packaged organic “simmer sauces” used
to season fajitas and other Southwestern entrées.
In addition, its Aura Cacia line offers organic essential
oils, new roll-ons, do-it-yourself home care blends and other
body and facial care products.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY A CORE VALUE
Since its inception, Frontier has been a member-owned
co-op, with a board of directors elected by members who
directly participate in the business. Wholesale customers –
the stores, distributors and buying clubs that purchase and
resell Frontier’s products – provide capital for Frontier to operate
and share the co-op’s earnings.
Bedard noted that Frontier’s interests extend beyond the
financial to social justice, environmental concerns and other
values that influence the co-op’s products.
For example, Frontier offers a large selection of Fair Trade
Certified loose-leaf teas, spices and herbs. Fair Trade certification
ensures fair prices and good working conditions,
while the producing communities benefit from projects,
“People want
more than
just pay and
benefits.”
Tony Bedard
Frontier Co-op CEO
PHOTO BRIAN DRAEGER
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 7

PHOTO FRONTIER CO-OP
PHOTO BRIAN DRAEGER
Frontier Co-op
produces a variety
of organic products
such as onion
powder and red
enchilada sauce.
Other products
include herbs, teas
and personal care
items.
such as building a school or offering daycare
to workers, funded by a portion of the Fair
Trade premium.
Frontier has taken that a step beyond, by
digging wells in Madagascar villages to help
its vanilla growers and starting other projects
both at home and abroad, Bedard said.
The co-op imports from more than 50
countries, and several employees “roam the
globe” to build its supply chain, he said, citing
supply as one of Frontier’s biggest challenges.
A portion of every Aura Cacia purchase
supports Frontier’s Positive Change Project,
with $230,000 provided last year to six organizations,
including the Catherine McAuley
Center in Cedar Rapids, and others around the
country that help women better their lives.
EMPLOYEES MOST VALUABLE ASSET
Those values are reflected in the business atmosphere,
as well, where Frontier employees
enjoy benefits such as on-site daycare and lowcost,
nutritious meals at its organic cafe. The
co-op’s site in rural Norway, Iowa, is its largest,
with about 375 employees who work in
packaging and other operations in three shifts.
Another 30 are employed each in Belle Plaine
and in Urbana – the site of its Aura Cacia facility
– and about 50 at its North Liberty location.
“We’re connected to Iowa and connected
to the rural community,” Bedard said, noting
that Frontier helped bring high-speed internet
to Belle Plaine when it opened its facility there.
A job fair in January attracted more than
100 people for 50 openings, mainly full-time
positions in production, while the number of
Frontier employees doubled in the past five
years alone.
“We’re a good employer,” Bedard said.
“People want more than just pay and benefits.”
He attributes the co-op’s success, which includes
double-digit growth over the past 15 years
and “a couple hundred million” in annual sales,
to its outstanding workforce and integrated technology.
Employees work in self-directed teams,
with no mandated overtime and opportunity for
8 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

a work-life balance, Bedard said.
Frontier is hiring a vice president of innovation to keep
promoting the growth the co-op has experienced, while a
new innovation center is being constructed on its main campus
in Norway. The two-story building is expected to open
in July.
“Nobody launches more products than we do in the natural
food industry,” Bedard said, citing “dozens and dozens”
of products annually. “Our goal is to continue that double-digit
growth.”
As it has grown, some in the company called for moving
Frontier’s headquarters to somewhere “more hip,” such as
Boulder, Colorado.
But Bedard remained a staunch proponent of staying in
Iowa, noting that employees are now moving to the state
from Portland, Oregon, the Twin Cities and elsewhere.
“We’re winning in rural Iowa,” he said. “I’m really excited
about our future.” CN
“We’re winning in rural Iowa.”
Tony Bedard, Frontier Co-op CEO
1606 Greens Way Ct NE
Cedar Rapids IA 52402
319-362-3200
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HANDin
hand
10 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

T.J. Bowen, left, and Payton Schirm each
bring their own talents to their business,
BoWood, in Vinton. Bowen is the head
craftsman while Schirm is the business
development manager.
Partners
complement
each other’s skills
in startup
By Angela Holmes
TWO VINTON MEN each bring their
own talents to the table of their woodworking
business that specializes in handmade
kitchen utensils, serving bowls and
cutting boards.
After making products for friends and
family, T.J. Bowen and Payton Schirm officially
launched BoWood in 2015 to introduce
their craft to a wider audience. Bowen
is the head craftsman while Schirm is
the business development manager.
The business started in earnest when
Schirm’s wife, Alexa, asked Bowen – her
brother-in-law – to make her a cutting board.
A carpenter by trade, Bowen specializes in
fine cabinetry and finish work. He uses his
skills to create intricate cutting boards made
with a variety of domestic woods, including
maple and cherry which come from a 100-
mile radius of Vinton, and specially-ordered
exotic selections like zebrawood, marblewood
and East Indian rosewood.
While Bowen creates the checkered-pattern
cutting boards and utensils such as
scoops, spatulas and servers in the wood
shop in his garage, Schirm is busy behind
the scenes managing the books and developing
a marketing and social media plan.
BoWood Company
602 E. Second St.
Vinton, IA 52349
http://bowoodco.com
PHOTOS BRIAN DRAEGER
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 11

12 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018
T.J. Bowen sands a
wooden kitchen utensil
at BoWood’s shop in his
Vinton garage. He hopes
to add more equipment
and expand his business.

T.J. Bowen engraves
BoWood’s insignia on a
utensil’s handle. Bowen
handcrafts a variety of utensils
including rice scoops, spurtles
and spatulas.
I try to do everything I can to let him focus on woodworking.
Payton Schirm, Business Development Manager, BoWood
“I try to do everything I can to let him
focus on woodworking,” Schirm said.
Schirm, who works full-time as an
engineer in Cedar Rapids, helped his
wife with her health and wellness business,
Simple Roots Wellness, for several
years before starting BoWood.
He set up her website, including
shooting and posting photographs of
food and making podcasts.
“It gave me experience with a startup
and the benefit of coming up with an
idea and trying it out,” he said.
HITTING THE ROAD
The men began selling their products
during the summer of 2015 at the Cedar
Rapids Downtown Farmers’ Market and
NewBo City Market. By October that year,
BoWood Company was licensed with the
state as an Iowa domestic limited-liability
company.
They have since traveled to shows in
Kansas City, Colorado and other places.
“Craft shows and markets are the
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 13

BoWood uses various kinds
of wood for their products,
including maple and cherry
and exotic selections like
zebrawood, marblewood
and East Indian rosewood.
biggest way to get the product out there,” Schirm
said, adding they attend shows around two times
a month during the summer. “It is important to be
face-to-face with customers. They are able to touch
and feel our product, pick it up and see how heavy
it is and check its quality.”
Although the company’s website, bowoodco.com,
wasn’t live until late 2016, online orders make up 25-
30 percent of sales. The local customer base is the
largest with referrals coming from word of mouth.
After a busy holiday season in November and
December, the first several months of the year are
the slowest before the craft show season begins in
spring. This gives Bowen time to stock up inventory,
as a typical patterned cutting board takes a couple
weeks to a month to finish.
DURABLE PRODUCT
As the primary cook in his house, Bowen gets inspiration
for his products from working in the kitchen.
The quality of the handmade wooden products
is their main selling point, Schirm said.
“They don’t get chemicals like in plastic utensils
and they last longer and look better.”
BoWood has developed a food-safe mineral oil
and wood butter made of beeswax for customers to
protect and preserve their purchases. Each customer
is given a care card with their purchase.
“We want them to get the best out of their product
and enjoy it for a long time,” Schirm said.
WORK IN PROGRESS
While both men have full-time jobs, their goal is to
build BoWood into a sustainable business.
They didn’t use any outside financial sources to
get the business up and running but utilize resources
such as the Kirkwood Small Business Development
Center in Marion.
“We put a lot of money back into the business,”
Schirm said. “We’re always looking for the next
thing in equipment.”
Their work has caught the attention of businesses
looking for custom woodworking at their locations.
BoWood will be doing all booth seating, table tops,
custom metal legs for tables and booths and some
cabinetry for Gianna’s Italian Beef, scheduled to
open this spring at 323 Third St. SE in downtown Cedar
Rapids. They have a similar project in the works
for a restaurant opening next year in Des Moines.
To boost revenue, they also hope to add furniture
and higher-ticket items, but realize they would
have to add employees, space and equipment.
For now, it is a two-man operation with Bowen
designing and Schirm keeping the books.
“Neither one of us has to do what the other
does,” Schirm said. CN
14 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

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16 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018
Patty Stapella quilts a mattress
in Lebeda Mattress Factory’s
production plant in Marion.

By Emery Styron
Photos Brian Draeger
LEBEDA MATTRESS DELIVERS
STRAIGHT FROM FACTORY
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 17

“The best part of being factorydirect
is the consum er talks
directly to the people that made
the mat tress.”
Todd Peterson
General Manager of Marion-based
Lebeda Mattress Factory
Lebeda
Mattress Factory
2525 Seventh Ave.
Marion, IA 52302
www.lebeda.com
18 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

“All our beds are freshly-baked,” said
Todd Peterson, general manager of Marion-based
Lebeda Mattress Factory. “If
you live in Iowa and order a mattress on
Monday, it will be built on Tuesday and
delivered to your home on Wednesday.”
The company has enjoyed success with the
factory-direct model since 1946, when Jim
Lebeda left his job at Smulekoff’s Furniture
in Cedar Rapids to strike out on his own.
Mr. Lebeda had been re-covering bedding
for the retailer when he realized, “I’m
an upholsterer, I can make a better mattress,”
said Mr. Peterson.
From a small garage operation turning
out a couple beds a week, Lebeda has
grown into a 35-employee factory selling
beds through 20 company-owned stores in
five Midwestern states.
Mike Emerson, who worked for Lebeda
while in high school, bought the operation
and grew it to a full-fledged business with
several Iowa stores. He later partnered with
Russ Miller, who helped steer Lebeda Mattress
Factory to its current configuration.
LEBEDA ON PAGE 31
Joseph Baguet assembles
a mattress in Lebeda
Mattress Factory’s
production plant in Marion.
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 19

Horticultural Hit
MCG BioComposites’
plant markers grow
in popularity
By Emery Styron
Photos Brian Draeger
MCG BioComposites
3425 Sycamore Court NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
mcgbiocomposites.com
20 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

Injection molders wrinkled their noses
when Sam McCord, founder of Cedar Rapids-based
MCG BioComposites, came calling
in 2009 with his new biocomposite plastic
resin. Not only did the stuff smell, they
worried the polymer compounded from
post-industrial recycled plastics and corn
cobs would burn their tools and ruin their machines.
To demonstrate that MCG’s resin is a viable substitute
for virgin plastic, the firm produced a run
of 9-inch plant markers to sell to commercial seed
growers. MCG BioMarkers quickly became a hit in
the horticulture industry and are today the company’s
main business.
MARKERS THAT COMPOST
MCG offers plant identifiers in three sizes. The stickin-the-dirt
markers are made with biodegradable
material and are time-savers for commercial plant
growers who must identify hundreds of thousands
of different cultivars because “they don’t have to
hand-pluck all the markers out,” McCord explained.
The markers come with weatherproof labels that
can be laser-printed or written on with a permanent
ink Garden Marker which MCG also supplies. When
it’s time to replace the labels, they peel off easily
and leave no residue.
BioMarkers are also popular with home gardeners
and institutions. Kelly Norris, of
the Des Moines Botanical Center,
said his organization likes keeping
its business with an Iowa company
that utilizes a recyclable product
made from sustainable materials.
The markers are especially useful for
seasonal displays and are “a cost-effective
way of connecting information
about plants to a visitor’s experience,”
he said.
Sam McCord
MCG has recently added custom
engraving for the plant markers, which is done by
an Iowa City company. This type of label lasts even
longer and is popular with arboretums and botanical
gardens.
The company also offers Wiggle Worm Soil
Builder, an organic fertilizer made of earthworm
They don’t have to handpluck
all the markers
out. They degrade when
placed in their compost.
Sam McCord
Founder of Cedar Rapids-based
MCG BioComposites
MCG BioComposites products include
plant markers and BioMarkers made from
recycled plastic with corn cob fiber.
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 21

castings, produced by an Indianola company.
“We sell to so many gardeners, worm castings are
a very nice tack on,” McCord said.
Products are available online and at some Hy-
Vee stores in Eastern Iowa and other locations.
KEEPING IT IN IOWA
MCG grew out of an effort begun several years ago
to generate revenue from Iowa’s agricultural waste.
McCord was part of an Iowa Economic Development
Group division addressing the ag byproducts
issue, when he met an entrepreneur who had lots of
ideas for products made from corn cob fibers blended
with recycled plastics.
He served as a consultant to help bring the entrepreneur’s
product to market, working with a venture
capital firm. That effort was ultimately unsuccessful,
partly due to the nature of venture capital funding,
McCord said, but he “saw a need.” Later, he and his
wife, Mary, along with two partners, launched MCG
using their own capital.
McCord, a long-time leader in the plastics industry,
takes pride in using Iowa raw materials and vendors
to manufacture his products.
“That was one of the key things in setting up
our business,” he said. “We have developed relations
over 25 years with hundreds of companies.
We knew the good ones and wanted to do as much
business in Iowa as we could.”
A local designer does the product and tool design.
The tool building is handled by a local mold builder,
who works hand in hand with injection molder
Vantec, of Webster City. Independence-based Best
Cob supplies the corn cob fiber.
RESIN BUSINESS: ‘A SLOW PROCESS’
Sam McCord, standing with a pallet he
makes to support shipped products,
displays his garden/plant/tree labels used by
gardeners and horticulturists.
Despite the success of BioMarkers, marketing the
resin remains “a slow process,” McCord said. Injection
molders are gradually coming around to
biobased resins.
“When we show them the proper processing parameters,
they get very comfortable with it,” he said.
In addition, some of the compounding firms
McCord talked to when he was getting the company
off the ground have begun manufacturing their
own biocomposites, which he expects to increase
acceptance of his own products.
The company sells half a dozen different resins,
MARKERS ON PAGE 30
22 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

Top 10 Iowa Manufacturing Sectors
in millions of dollars, 2015
PRODUCTS
$7,027
Machinery
$6,858
Food/Beverage/Tobacco
$6,397
Chemical
$1,959
Computer/Electronic
$1,951
Fabricated Metal
$1,276
Motor Vehicles and Parts
$1,044
Plastics/Rubber
$964
Primary Metals
$850
Paper
$832
Nonmetallic Mineral
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
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CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 23

Keep pushing
PHOTOS BRIAN DRAEGER
During the past five years, Simply Soothing
has posted $6 million-$7 million in sales, with
Bug Soother now sold in more than 6,000
retail locations across the United States.
24 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

‘Overnight sensation’ Bug
Soother not an easy ascent
Simply Soothing
207 E. Access St.
Columbus Junction, IA 52738
www.simplysoothing.net
By Cindy Hadish
The fairy tale success of Simply Soothing Inc., a family-owned business
based in Columbus Junction, tells only part of the story.
“People have romanticized all of that,” founder and CEO Freda
Sojka said of the company’s seemingly overnight rise from basement
operation to international sensation. “But it’s not all easy.”
Upon retiring after 22 years with Monsanto, Sojka started
the bath and body products company in 2003 with her
daughter, Nikki Salek.
The company’s most well-known product, Bug
Soother, is a natural bug repellent Sojka originally
developed for her then 5-month-old grandson. It
began its ascent during Iowa’s floods of 2008.
She didn’t want to apply DEET – commonly
used in insect repellent – or other chemicals on
her grandson, so she combined lemongrass
oil, vanilla and other natural ingredients to
create her own formula.
The product was given a timely test when a
crew working near her sister’s flooded home on
the Cedar River was attacked by gnats. The Bug
Soother worked, and their crew chief bought all
of Sojka’s insect repellent the next day.
From there, news of Bug Soother spread by
word of mouth, shared by fans at baseball games,
on golf courses and other outdoor spaces.
GROWTH GOES VIRAL
By 2011, a local grocery store owner asked to sell the bug spray and
in six weeks, more than 700 bottles flew off the shelves in the town of
just 1,800. The following year, Simply Soothing moved into a bigger
building to produce Bug Soother in larger quantities.
“In 2014, we had our biggest year,” Sojka said. “It was such a viral,
crazy thing.”
During that time, Simply Soothing was approached by numerous
outlets hoping to sell their insect repellent, but demand was so great
that they didn’t want to enter into more contracts than they could
fulfill. A European fan even asked about selling it overseas.
Looking back, Sojka said that time period was hectic, with 16-
hour days, but among the high points for the company.
She found help and encouragement through the Cedar Rapids-based
Entrepreneurial Development Center, including the EDC’s
Founders Group of fellow small business owners.
“We share ideas and commiserate,” Sojka said. “There are high
Simply Soothing Inc. founder and
CEO Freda Sojka has experienced the
ups and downs of running a growing
business since 2003.
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 25

highs and low lows and they all have those stories.”
That led her to discover other homegrown businesses,
which she tries to promote as much as possible.
“There are so many products made here in Iowa,” Sojka
said, citing Tiny But Mighty Popcorn of Shellsburg and others.
“We need to all hook together. We can help each other grow.”
That was part of the impetus behind the Simply Soothing
Iowa Marketplace, a retail store opened in 2015 in Columbus
Junction that sells the company’s products, along with wine,
home décor, jewelry and other handcrafted items made by
Iowa artisans.
From left, Barb Dotson,
Nikki Salek and Jim Sojka
package products at the
Simply Soothing facility in
Columbus Junction.
26 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

NOT FOR FAIR-WEATHER FANS
Sojka notes that she was advised against opening the retail
store, but wanted to give others a place to sell their
Iowa-made products.
“It’s a battle,” she said of the current state of retail,
especially in a small town like Columbus Junction.
The same is true with the retail world for Bug Soother.
“It changes every year,” she said, citing weather as a
big factor in their sales.
During rainy years, the insect repellent sells well, but
the past two years have been relatively dry with fewer
insects, so larger retailers, such as Hy-Vee, had difficulty
moving the product.
Competition also moved in, with other companies
hoping to cash in on the success of Bug Soother with
their own version of the spray.
Simply Soothing has had its share of growing pains,
but remains a family-owned business that employs six, a
number that goes up to 20 when in manufacturing mode.
The popularity of Bug Soother has taken Sojka and
other family members to Scotland, where a distributor
dilutes the product from concentrated form and bottles
and distributes it in Europe, as well as places such as Colombia
and Panama, a difficult market to enter.
During the past five years, Simply Soothing has posted
$6 million-$7 million in sales, with Bug Soother in more
than 6,000 retail locations across the
United States.
The company is moving
into more e-commerce,
producing larger-sized
bottles for use on pets
and horses and has
started a line of essential
oils. They
are also looking
into patio candles
and a bug bite treatment,
and have an
agreement with an
East Coast company
for their insect repellent
to be sold under another
name, including at Kroger
stores.
At age 66, and with her husband, Jim,
now 67, Sojka laughs when asked about retirement.
“In any business, you can’t let up,” she said. “There’s
no coasting. You keep pushing.” CN
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CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 27

LEVERAGE
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28 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

Manufacturers
(Ranked by total number of local employees)
RANK
Name
Contact Information
Total Number of
Local
Employees
Top Executives
Year
Established
in the
Corridor
Product or Service
1
Rockwell Collins
400 Collins Road NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52498
(319) 295-1000; fax (319)
295-9374
www.rockwellcollins.com
8,974 Kelly Ortberg 1933
Provides aviation electronics and airborne
and mobile communications products and
systems for commercial and military
applications
2
Amana Refrigeration Products, A
Whirlpool Corporation
2800 220th Trail
Amana, IA 52204
(319) 622-5511; fax (319)
622-2900
www.WhirlpoolCorp.com
3,200
Jeff Durham
Joshua Pesek
1934
Home appliances - premium refrigerators
(Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, Kitchenaid,
Jennair)
3
Quaker Oats Co., a division of PepsiCo
418 Second St. NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
(319) 362-3121; fax (319)
398-1692
www.quakeroats.com
910 Cindy Thul 1873
Markets and manufactures grain-based
foods
4
Integrated DNA Technologies
1710 Commercial Park
Coralville, IA 52241
(800) 328-2661
(319) 626-8400; fax (319)
626-8444
custcare@idtdna.com
www.idtdna.com
734
Joseph A. Walder
Trey E. Martin
1987
Custom, synthetic DNA and RNA
oligonucleotides (oligos) for research
applications
5
General Mills Inc.
4800 Edgewood Road SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 396-8000
www.generalmills.com
700 Rue Patel 1973 Markets food brands around the world
6
Kinze Manufacturing Inc.
Interstate 80 at Exit 216
Williamsburg, IA 52361
(319) 668-1300; fax (319)
668-1328
www.kinze.com
600 1965
Farm equipment, row crop planters, grain
auger carts, high-speed tillage
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Oral B Laboratories
1832 Lower Muscatine Road
Iowa City, IA 52240
Procter & Gamble
2200 Lower Muscatine Road
Iowa City, IA 52240
PMX Industries Inc.
5300 Willow Creek Drive SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
ADM - Corn Processing Division
1350 Waconia Ave. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Centro Inc.
950 N. Bend Drive
North Liberty, IA 52317
Cargill Inc. Corn Milling
1710 16th St. SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Raining Rose Inc.
100 30th St. Drive SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Quality Chef Foods, division of H.J. Heinz
Co.
5005 C St. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
International Paper, Cedar River Mill
4600 C St. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 338-5411; fax (319)
356-9165
www.pg.com
(319) 339-2000; fax (319)
339-2262
www.pg.com
(319) 368-7700; fax (319)
247-4763
www.ipmx.com
(319) 398-0600; fax (319)
247-2880
info@admworld.com
www.admworld.com
(319) 626-3200; fax (319)
626-3203
salesmkt@centroinc.com
www.centroinc.com
(319) 399-2111; fax (319)
399-6131
www.cargill.com
(800) 481-3934
(319) 362-8101
internetcontacts@rainingrose.com
www.rainingrose.com
(319) 362-9633; fax (319)
362-3924
www.qualitycheffoods.com
(319) 365-2100; fax (319)
365-0436
www.internationalpaper.com
600 Mike McCleary 1958 Produces toothbrushes
600 Michael Hughes 1956
Shampoo/conditioner: Pantene, Head and
Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Aussie and
Vidal Sassoon; Oral rinse: Scope and Crest
ProHealth; body wash: Olay, Ivory, Old
Spice and Gillette
472 S.G. Kim 1990 Copper and brass strip mill
450 Eric Fasnacht 1971 Processes corn
400
Brian Olesen
Tripp Traicoff
Alvin Spence
Sal Hazboun
1970
350 Brian Bares 1967
275
Chuck Hammond
Mike Wehr
1996
240 Stephen Maddocks 1985
223 Derek Depuydt 1995
Manufacturer of custom rotationally
molded plastic parts
Produces corn syrup and corn starches for
food and industrial applications and feed
products
Personal care products such as lip balm,
lotion, bar and liquid soap, sunscreen and
hand sanitizer available for private labeling
Manufactures frozen soups, sauces and
entrees for wholesale
Manufactures recycled paper for
cardboard boxes
16
Ingredion Inc.
1001 First St. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 398-3700; fax (319)
398-3771
www.ingredion.com
215 Roxie Simon - -
Manufactures modified industrial and food
starches and ethanol
17
Loparex Inc.
2000 Industrial Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 341-5000; fax (319)
351-8977
www.loparex.com
200 Paul Steigleder 1970
Produces a variety of specialty coatings for
papers and firms
18
19
20
International Automotive Components
2500 Highway 6 E.
Iowa City, IA 52240
Apache Inc.
4805 Bowling St. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Diamond V
2525 60th Ave. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 338-9281; fax (319)
339-4784
www.iacgroup.com
(866) 757-7816
(319) 365-0471; fax (319)
365-2522
jill.miller@apache-inc.com
www.apache-inc.com
(319) 366-0745
www.diamondv.com
160 1964 Interior automotive parts
155
Tom E. Pientok
Kyle Gingrich
Randy Walter
Gregg Hanson
1963
128 Jeff Cannon 1943
Source: Staff research.
Note: Entries may be edited for length and clarity. Some companies were not included because they did not respond to requests for information.
Fabrication of hose, belting, cut and
molded rubber and industrial consumer
products
Natural immune support products that
optimize animal health, animal
performance and food safety
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 29

STARTUPS
FROM PAGE 5
• Five-year survival rate: 52.77 percent,
upper middle of the range, between
Nevada’s low of 43.4 percent and
North Dakota’s high of 58.1 percent.
RESOURCES
Kirkwood Small Business
Development Center
3375 Armar Drive
Marion, IA 52302
(319) 377-8256
www.kirkwood.edu/ktos/sbdc
University of Iowa Small Business
Development Center
IOWA Centers for Enterprise
W140 BioVentures Center
Coralville, IA 52241
(319) 335-3742
http://iowasbdc.org/regionalcenter/iowa-city-coralville/
Cedar Rapids MICRO Loan
Program
www.ecicog.org/micro.html
SMALL BUSINESS
PACKS PUNCH
Lest anyone forget how important startups
and small businesses are to the
overall economy, Iowa State University’s
Small Businesses Development
Center notes that in 88 of the 99 counties,
firms employing less than 100 persons
account for three-quarters of those
counties’ businesses.
In addition to small businesses with
employees, another 20,370 firms are
run by sole operators. Often hobbies or
sideline enterprises, these have the potential
to grow into full-time businesses.
New businesses account for nearly
all net, new job creation and almost 20
percent of gross job creation, according
to the Kauffman Foundation. Over the
past three decades, businesses under
one year old created, on average, 1.5
million jobs per year nationwide.
IT TAKES MONEY
TO MAKE MONEY
Startups are overwhelmingly small businesses,
but with the right management,
strategy, luck, hard work and all-important
financing, they sometimes grow into
larger enterprises. Financial backing is
generally available for Corridor entrepreneurs.
“I do some work with investor capital
and anytime I have someone in that
category, they seem to get a receptive
reaction,” Swenson said. Clients using
a “lean startup approach” that proves
there are customers before building out
the company reduce risk and attract capital
“once market fit and some early sales
traction has been established,” he added.
“Most of our work with lifestyle businesses
involves debt capital and it’s a terrific
market for funding. The banking industry
is competitive, and, coupled with
SBA loan guarantees, makes it a very
good market to get projects funded.”
The Cedar Rapids MiCRoloan program
and revolving loan fund options
managed by the East Central Iowa Council
of Governments, combined with other
sources, provide financing for 90 percent
of the Kirkwood SBDC’s applicants.
“Part of that, of course, is providing
lenders with well-vetted and qualified
projects,” Swenson noted.
“Venture capital is always hard to
get,” Heath noted. “Most of the people
we see are more suited for traditional
financing through banks.” Obtaining
VC funding often involves out-of-state
trips, repeated attempts and lots of time.
“However, with venture school training,
some are finding success in getting equity
financing.”
When those animal spirits are afoot,
entrepreneurs will find a way. CN
MARKERS
FROM PAGE 22
including its proprietary blend, MCGB
DuraMaze BioComposite. All are compounded
from various combinations
of corn cobs, wheat starch, pine wood
and other fibers, and reprocessed polypropylene
or natural and synthetic biodegradable
polymers. The formulas can
be varied to achieve different properties
such as heat tolerance.
Kansas-based Green Dot Bioplastics
formulates the resins. Since all materials
originate in the United States and processing
is done in-country, the carbon
footprint for the product is lower than
that of competing products with components
or manufacturing done outside
the country. By incorporating these
materials in their products, companies
can conserve resources and promote
sustainable operations while meeting
government compliance and USDA certification
requirements.
The day is not long off, McCord believes,
when many more manufacturers
will drop their reservations and embrace
biobased raw materials. After all,
he said, “we tackled all those issues and
turned out an excellent product.” CN
We wanted to do as
much business in
Iowa as we could.
Sam McCord
MCG BioComposites
founder
30 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018

LEBEDA
FROM PAGE 19
FACTORY-DIRECT: A WIN-WIN
SITUATION
“The best part of being factory-direct, the consumer
talks directly to the people that made the mattress,”
Peterson said. “Being factory-direct is nice
for us and for the customer.”
By “eliminating the middle man” Lebeda can
sell a higher-quality mattress for less money and
offer customer service that a national manufacturer
selling through retailers would be hard-pressed
to match.
Not that Lebeda is trying to be a low price leader.
The company stresses quality over making the least
expensive product, Peterson said. Lebeda’s economy
models compare to middle or lower-middle
quality mattresses of national brands.
“Customers want their beds to last,” he said. “They
are investing in a nice sleep, not just a mattress.”
Comfort customization is another benefit
Lebeda offers with its factory-direct channel. Beds
change as they break in, so customers sometimes
buy something they love at first then later dislike.
That’s why Lebeda allows them to exchange mattresses
or return them to the factory to be tweaked.
“We’ll make it firmer or softer for free,” Peterson
said. “We have a lot of people who bring their mattress
in and we get it done in a couple of hours.”
The factory staff is cross-trained and many have
been with Lebeda for 15-25 years. Experience is especially
deep in the sewing and quilting department.
The crew makes deliveries to Iowa mattress buyers’
homes directly from Marion. Stores outside
Iowa receive mattress deliveries once a week, and
deliver them to customers.
Leggett & Platt, a Carthage, Missouri, manufacturer,
supplies the metal components, including popular
adjustable frames, for most of Lebeda’s beds.
“We’ve been buying from them since 1990.
You’re dealing with an American company, so if
something goes wrong, we can get parts for them,”
Peterson said.
TODAY’S BEDS HIGH-TECH AND RETRO
Beds these days “definitely have a lot of doodads,”
Peterson said. “It’s become more expected from
the consumer.”
An example is the Ultra Adjustable base, with
three areas that can be moved to the body’s needs,
variable intensity massage, multiple USB ports,
underbed lighting, adjustable leg height and a
Bluetooth app for Apple and Android.
Lebeda stores and its website offer mattresses
and box springs, along with furniture lines from
regional manufacturers and frames, pads and pillows.
Furniture, Peterson said, “is not our main
thing, but we have some nice stuff. For it not being
our main thing, we sure do sell a lot of it.”
People today want to live and sleep healthier, so
they’re asking for natural, breathable fabrics like
cotton and bamboo. Sleeping cool and avoiding
allergic reactions is also important, so Lebeda uses
natural rubber instead of polyurethane.
“Everyone sells a bed and upholsters with pretty
fabric, but it’s what’s inside that counts,” Peterson
said.
Customers are also
requesting “flippable”
mattresses. “What’s old
is new again,” Peterson
said, noting that two-sided
mattresses have been
around for years but
went out of fashion due
to higher costs.
As for the company’s
future, Lebeda is
“not looking to grow
just to grow,” said Peterson,
who’s been there
since 1994. “Our goal
is to maintain and grow
where we feel we’ll do
the best for the community
we go to.”
Lebeda continues to
upgrade stores in existing
markets. A new
showroom in Marion
opened last year and another
was just completed
in Dubuque. Plans are in
the works for another in
Cedar Rapids. Coralville
will also see its Lebeda
showroom expanded to
4,500 square feet.
“With factory direct,
the further you get away
from here, the harder it is to accomplish,” Peterson
said. “We want to make sure our product is still the
best in the market.” CN
“Customers are
investing in a nice
sleep, not just a
mattress.”
Todd Peterson, general manager
Lebeda Mattress Factory
CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 31

A PUBLICATION OF THE
CBJ MAGAZINES
What continues to make print ads valuable is the
(nearly) undivided attention that readers give to
magazine and newspaper content, rather than multitasking
like they do when consuming digital content. *
LURE
Articles accompanied by lush photography feature lifestyle stories
of Corridor residents and their distinctive homes, new construction
developments in the Corridor, home remodeling projects, home
improvement ideas, decorating trends, gardening ideas, and more.
PUBLISHES: JUNE 4 SEPT. 10 DEC. 3
AD DEADLINE: APR. 20 JULY 27 OCT. 19
TAKE A TOUR OF A
MODERN FARMHOUSE
LURE
KITCHENS
with style
Corridor restaurants
go farm to table
Container
Gardening
SALVAGED ITEMS
BECOME ART
Homegrown Businesses in the Corridor Spring 2018
HAND
in hand
BoWood partners each
use special skills in
woodworking startup
HERE TO STAY
Frontier Co-op thrives in its rural
Iowa roots
FRESHLY-BAKED
BEDS
Lebeda Mattress Factory delivers
straight from factory
KEEP PUSHING
Bug Soother not an easy ascent
CORRIDOR NATIVE
Featuring stories on great things and innovative ideas homegrown in Eastern
Iowa. Some may be familiar, and others may just surprise you. From mom-andpop
shops, hip startups to large-scale manufacturing, Corridor Native celebrates
our local entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors - large and small - those who
have taken simple ideas and turned them into something extraordinary.
PUBLISHES: OCT. 1 AD DEADLINE: AUG. 10
WORKFORCE LEADERS
The magazine identifies challenges to attract and retain workers, current
recruiting trends and shares best practices of companies that are ahead of
the curve in creating and maintaining their workforce talent.
2017
WORKFORCE
LEADERS
PUBLISHES: DEC. 1 AD DEADLINE: NOV 13
Corridor Business Journal
2345 Landon Road, Ste. 100
North Liberty, IA 52317
PRST STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PLATTEVILLE, WI 53818
PERMIT NO. 124
CONTACT:
Judith Cobb, Magazine Media Consultant
judith@corridorbusiness.com | 319.665.6397, ext. 318
*Originally published in the April 2015 issue of Marketing News.
www.corridorbusiness.com/custom-publications