CoreValuesSignage-Manufacturing_Page_2One of the first things visitors to Clickstop’s office see is the company’s mission statement. It’s displayed on a monitor just inside the front entrance, along with the six core values that guide the growing business.

The mission statement is unlike most in that it doesn’t speak to quality, service or any other traditional business buzzwords. Instead, it’s about its employees: “To create a business that is sustainable, enjoyable, and provides opportunity for those seeking it.” That’s because the company’s leadership team knows the success of the business starts with employees who enjoy their job and look for opportunities to better themselves and the company.

Clickstop was founded by CEO Tim Guenther in 2005 when he began selling ratchet straps and other cargo control merchandise on what has now become the company’s flagship brand, USCargoControl.com. The company now also operates five additional brands from its Urbana location. Products range from tie down straps (USCargoControl.com) and fasteners (FastenersPlus.com) to insulation (EcoFoil.com) and plastic storage boxes (JustPlasticBoxes.com and SpaceSavers.com).

“While we began as an E-commerce business, we’re much more than that now,” says Guenther. “We’re different in that we also focus on building relationships with our customers. We have the websites for ease of ordering, but we also have a sales team ready to serve our growing business-to-business customer base. We’re excited about adding more capabilities to our operations. We’ll be adding things that meet our customer’s needs while supporting our Mission Statement through the creation of opportunity.”

As with the company’s mission statement, its core values also focus on empowering employees. One of those- “Be Adventurous! Embrace & Drive Change” is evident in the growth the company continues to experience. While new businesses often achieve quick growth in a short period of time and then level off, Clickstop has managed to make the Fastest Growing Companies list six times in just seven years, a feat no other area company has done.

Driving change is a constant at the company: in 2011 the business and its 34 employees moved into its new offices near the Hwy 150/I-380 interchange. Less than two years later, a warehouse expansion added another 43,000-square feet to the building which allowed for the company to create a light CoreValuesSignage-Manufacturing_Page_3manufacturing department for its US Cargo Control brand.

The changes in that area of the company are remarkable, even by Clickstop standards. In 2013, just a few employees and sewing machines made up the department, sewing ratchet straps. Today, over 40 employees make up the department, which includes a growing second shift to handle the increasing number of orders. Clickstop now has nearly 120 full- and part-time employees at its Urbana office and there is talk of another building expansion on the horizon.

With the all of the growth and changes taking place, Clickstop’s Chief Culture Officer, Jim Mayhew, says it critical that the core values that drive the company are woven into each department, every day.

“One of our favorite core values here is ‘Expect Greatness in Yourself & Inspire It in Others’ because it embodies what we really do strive for every day. Greatness isn’t a destination; it’s a journey to consistently improve. Clickstop inspires excellence in each person and the results of this are reflected in our growth.”

This article first appeared in the Corridor Business Journal on May 25, 2015.

 

Scroll to Top