Get to know new ABI Chair David Zrostlik

Last month, ABI hosted the 2017 Taking Care of Business Conference in Dubuque. If you weren’t there, you missed one of the best business meetings of the year. Make plans now to join us in Coralville/Iowa City next June 5-7 for the 2018 conference. You will not want to miss it!

This edition of Business Record Iowa focuses on the Iowa impact of the global economy. On behalf of all of us at ABI, I hope you enjoy learning more about this topic.

This edition also provides my first opportunity to write this column, as I follow my colleague, Lori Schaefer-Weaton, in the role of ABI chair. Under Lori’s leadership, and because of your support, ABI just completed another very successful year. My goal in the coming months is to build on those successes and continue to promote all the educational opportunities that the association has available to Iowa companies.

Now I’ll tell you a little bit about me. I am proud to be a part of the team at Stellar Industries, located in Garner. Our company — started by my father and two of his colleagues more than 25 years ago — was the first U.S. corporation to design and manufacture a domestic hydraulic hooklift hoist. Over the years we have added dozens of products, including our market-leading tire service trucks and cranes, mechanics cranes and service trucks, and a variety of truck-mounted work truck accessories that we sell around the world. We’ve grown from just a small handful of people to employing over 400 fellow Iowans, and we are proud to call ourselves an ESOP company. By listening to our customers and focusing on their needs, our products have become the industry standard for innovation and productivity, but it is to our employees that we truly attribute our successes.

I am also proud to be a part of the team at ABI as a member company representative, a board member, and as chair. This is a team focused on the success of all Iowa businesses.

The strength of ABI is in its members, so thank you for your investment in and support of ABI. Because of you, our association enters its 115th year in a position of great strength. I look forward to hearing your ideas about how we can work together to keep the positive momentum going. Thank you again for your support of ABI.