Small town values are key within Kwik Star

At a ribbon cutting event held Wednesday, Oct. 23 for its new store in Stuart, Kwik Star leaders clearly laid out their mission statement and how they feel their family-owned values fit right in with small town Iowa, including Stuart.

Dr. Scott Zietlow, CEO of the LaCrosse, Wisconsin-based company, said family-owned businesses are rare in the United States today, with only 13% of them reaching 60 years of age. The average age of a family-owned business is 18 years, he said. Kwik Trip, known as Kwik Star in Iowa, will be 60 years old next year.

“For communities like Stuart, our goal is to provide a clean, safe location to purchase fresh products at a value with outstanding guest service,” Zietlow said. “In addition, we’re committed to being good neighbors, giving back to the communities we serve. Lastly, we provide good jobs with competitive salaries and benefits, including sharing 40% of our pre-tax profits with our co-workers.”

Stuart Chamber President Paige Witte commented that sometimes corporate companies coming into small towns can be met with apprehension by locals, but that hasn’t been the case with Kwik Star because of how they’ve handled themselves.

Kwik Star also made two presentations during the ribbon cutting event: $1,000 donation checks to the Stuart Police Department and Stuart Fire Department.

“We want to keep that small town vibe, small town feel, and the reason people want to move to a small town. We want to keep that for Stuart. We’ve had corporate companies come in and not want to give back to the community,” Witte said. “When we first met the Kwik Star team, they were overflowing with community involvement, giving back, and food, which we love. You always wonder if they’re going to keep doing it, and Kwik Star has. That’s what we want for Stuart: we want all the things but we want to keep it small.”

Stuart Mayor Dick Cook said during his remarks that Kwik Star only bolsters the growth the community has seen over the last decade.

“We’re very pleased that this company has chosen to locate here,” Cook said. “In the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of growth in our community with Karl Moyer [Karl Chevrolet] and the downtown businesses. This will be a great opportunity for people along the interstate and get some rest — especially the semi drivers who need some rest and can only drive for so many hours — and it’s wonderful with the great staff you have.”

The Kwik Star is located on the southeast corner of the Interstate 80 interchange on the south side of the community along Stuart Road. It opened Oct. 10.