The Golden Rule of Business – Times-Citizen Communications

Those who enter the three businesses started by the Campbell family in Iowa Falls - Campbell Supply, Cam-Spray and Iowa Power Products - will see on the wall a framed sign that says Years of Employment and below that a list of the years employees have worked there. Many have double digits next to their names. Thats one of the companies secrets of success.

Bob Campbell, corporate officer for Campbell Supply, said having great employees who stay for a long time helps them create better relationships with their customers. The salespeople at Campbell Supply can develop good relationships with their accounts.

Its a secret to our success, he said. A customer doesnt have to explain what they need because the person already knows them.

The company also focuses on its core values of integrity, following the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) and providing a financially secure and stable family environment.

Campbell said those values extend to the companys other locations in Waterloo, Sioux City and Cedar Rapids. The companys employees are expected to treat customers, vendors and fellow employees the way they would want to be treated as well.

One of those employees is Darla Smith. She is the assistant sales and marketing manager and has been with the company for about 33 years, after being hired in 1984. She came out of college and started with more of an accounting position with the company. That evolved to sales and marketing and she has stuck with that.

The atmosphere and people I work with has allowed me to grow, she said. Its exciting to be part of the company and watch it grow.

Smith said Campbell Supply does a good job adjusting to her needs, too. When she had twins, she said the company let her go to four days a week for a while and she appreciated that flexibility.

And I enjoy what I do. Thats a lot of it too, she said.

The company is all about family. Brothers John and Jim Campbell formed a partnership in 1959 and bought a business from Manning W. Howell in 1962 to establish Campbell Supply Company. They originally were on East Rocksylvania Avenue, but moved to their current South Oak Street location in 1968. That building has been expanded several times.

Second-generation family members Bob and Steve Campbell now operate the business. They keep the family atmosphere going.

We have those core values here, which may not be unusual (for other companies) but its kept people here, Bob said.

Campbell Supply is an industrial distribution company. Bob said a lot of people may not know what that is, but he said industries need someone to supply them with items like tools and other components that they need to run their businesses.

He said industries also rely on a business like Campbell Supply to be on top of new items available. Another advantage of having long-term employees is they get to know the products and can quickly learn about something new that their customers may be interested in.

A company like 3M has new items constantly, our customers want people to show them whats new, he said.

Part of being able to find employees that will grow with the company, is finding young people interested in the business. Campbell said that isnt always easy to do, with so many young people interested in technology instead of grinders and cutting discs. But on another note, the company does have a growing IT department to handle thousands of products on the website.

Finding people who want to live in small-town Iowa can also be a challenge, but the company does have opportunities for salespeople to live elsewhere.

Many companies have started out in smaller towns and then moved corporate headquarters to the states metropolitan areas. Campbell said this company has stayed where it was created because they grew up here. They also have people who have moved away, but want to come back home after starting to raise a family, so a company like Campbell Supply in Iowa Falls is a good option for them.

The other two companies operated by the Campbells in Iowa Falls also see longevity of staff at them. Bill Jensen is an example at Cam Spray. Jensen is the product manager there and has been with the company for 35 years.

Jensen said Cam Spray was his first job when he got out of school. It was just getting started in the early 1980s.

I saw the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something, he said.

Jensen said he works with good people and the company gives employees the opportunity to try out new things.

If we have an idea for something we think we can sell, we get a lot of latitude to make that happen, he said.

He said the company has a family atmosphere. The people he works with get their work done, but also have fun at the same time.

Its pretty laid back, he said.

Jensen enjoys when new products come along. He said he gets input from coworkers on the project and watches what they can come up with. Items need to be adapted for various customers needs.

Jensen said he plans on staying with Cam Spray until his retirement. As the business brings in younger people, he looks to spend some more time with his grandchildren, and also working on his farm and wrenching on his classic car.

Another business is housed in the same location as Cam Spray. That is Iowa Power Products. That business distributes Honda engines and Hatz diesel engines to the OEM market and through the dealer network.

The first face someone sees when entering the business is often Sharon Ites. Shes been with the company for 30 years. She came to the business after working for a Yamaha dealership. Her sister was working at Campbell Supply and told her about the opportunity. She applied and got the job.

Ites handles office work like payables, receivables, setting up new accounts, keeping track of payroll and vacations and other items similar to that.

Ites said a lot has changed since she first set foot in Iowa Power Products.

When I started, we had one computer, she said. Ive seen a lot of change over the years.

As for her longevity at the company, she said the Campbells are a great family to work for.

I couldnt ask for a better employer, she said.

Ites describes the Campbells as a good Christian family that has done a lot to help different organizations in Iowa Falls, including being active in church, with hospital organizations and organizations that make Christmas better for kids.

Because of that, and her great coworkers, she has never wanted to work elsewhere.

They are my daytime family, she said. I spend as much time with them as I do my actual family.

Ites said its a place she wants to come to in the morning. She said of course there are stressful times, but overall, its a nice place to be and she, like Jensen, plans to retire from the business when the time comes.

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The Golden Rule of Business - Times-Citizen Communications