Business : Governor tours Clickstop, hears success story and ideas from owner Guenther

Terry Branstad walked with Tim Guenther through the warehouses and offices of Clickstop Thursday afternoon. He saw the bistro that offers healthy food choices, as well as the other amenities including the gym area and the retail store. "You have everything here that Google has in its offices in San Francisco," said the Iowa Governor, as he sat in the conference room at the business on the northwest edge of Urbana, exchanging ideas with the entrepreneur. The visit by Branstad, accompanied by members of the Benton Development Group, of Vinton, was the latest milestone for the company that began with Guenther selling ratchets out of an old van, and then moving to his first business office in an eight-sided building on a turkey farm south of Cedar Falls. Guenther showed his guests a photo of "The Octagon," as he calls that building, as he spoke about the history and growth of Clickstop, which has already earned recognition as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the U.S. and the coolest places to work in a seven-county area. Guenther didn't set out to create an award-winning Internet business. "I saw how other people were doing this, with their marketing strategies and pricing, and I thought we could do it better," he said. Clickstop sells a variety of products -- mostly items for moving and cargo, such as ratchets, blankets to protect items and tools to help carry heavy items. The business added 50 employees last year, increasing its total of full- and part-time workers to 104. The business will continue to enjoy "double-digit growth" each year, said Guenther, who told the Governor that one thing he has learned through Clickstop is that anything is possible. And, as Guenther told the Governor, it all started with just three people: him, his wife, Nicole, and his best friend, Ben Rechkemmer, who is currently the Vice President of Purchasing and Logistics. Guenther told the governor that he began his entrepreneurial career without a college degree or a business plan. Branstad asked Guenther for advice about how Iowa could help to create new businesses as successful as Clickstop. Guenther replied that the best thing the state could do is to help new businesses with start-up projects -- even things as basic as filing articles of incorporation can be difficult for beginners, he said. Guenther also told the governor and other guests about the company's plans to offer profit-sharing with employees that could total up to 20 percent of their annual earnings. "Clickstop is an amazing story," said BDG director Ranae Becker. "Benton County is fortunate to have a business like that here." Below are links to awards and other media attention the business has received lately: Coolest Place to Work Clickstop Awards Case