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 


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 


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 


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 


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 


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 


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 


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 


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 


Veronica Tessler, Owner, Yotopia Frozen Yogurt 

I needed a bank that believed in me 

and my business plan. 

“ 

A lot of banks simply said no, but MidWestOne took the time to listen and understand 

why I was so excited about the potential of Yotopia Frozen Yogurt. Opening Iowa City’s 

first self-serve frozen yogurt shop was a big deal to me – and I could not have done it 

without MidWestOne. 

” 

MidWestOne.com | 800.247.4418 

Member FDIC

16 CORRIDOR NATIVE APRIL 2018 

Patty Stapella quilts a mattress 

in Lebeda Mattress Factory’s 

production plant in Marion.


Photos Brian Draeger 

LEBEDA MATTRESS DELIVERS 

STRAIGHT FROM FACTORY 


“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 


“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. 


Horticultural Hit 

MCG BioComposites’ 

plant markers grow 

in popularity 


Photos Brian Draeger 

MCG BioComposites 

3425 Sycamore Court NE 

Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 

mcgbiocomposites.com 


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 products include 

plant markers and BioMarkers made from 

recycled plastic with corn cob fiber. 


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 


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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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. 


‘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. 


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. 


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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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 


(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 


(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 


(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 


PMX Industries Inc. 

5300 Willow Creek Drive SW 


ADM - Corn Processing Division 

1350 Waconia Ave. SW 


Centro Inc. 

950 N. Bend Drive 


Cargill Inc. Corn Milling 

1710 16th St. SE 


Raining Rose Inc. 

100 30th St. Drive SE 


Quality Chef Foods, division of H.J. Heinz 

Co. 

5005 C St. SW 


International Paper, Cedar River Mill 

4600 C St. SW 


(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 


(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 


(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. 


Apache Inc. 

4805 Bowling St. SW 


Diamond V 

2525 60th Ave. SW 


(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 


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 


founder 


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 


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 


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

Corridor Native Spring 2018

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