Stellar Industries was named the 2024 Legacy Award recipient. This award was given to Stellar at the North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Gala that took place in Mason City, Iowa, on Oct. 3, 2024. The Legacy Award is given each year to a business that contributed to North Iowa through vision, leadership, job creation and economic impact.
“Stellar Industries and the Zrostlik family exemplify the spirit of entrepreneurship in North Iowa,” said Dr. Candi Karsjens, NIACC Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center Director. “Through continuous innovation and expansion, they not only strengthen their presence locally, but they also make an impact beyond the region.”
Other companies that have received the Legacy Award including Winnebago Industries and Sukup.
Read more: Stellar acquires Elliott Machine Works
“It’s an honor to receive the Legacy Award,” says David Zrostlik, President of Stellar. “Stellar was founded on putting people, the community and a quality product first and I’m proud to say that more than 30 years later that focus is still true.”
Stellar was founded in 1990 in Garner, Iowa, by Francis Zrostlik, Jim Vlaanderen and Gary Bomstad as a designer and manufacturer of a domestic hydraulic hooklift hoist. Over the last 30 years, Stellar has expanded operations to multiple U.S. locations including facilities in Garner, Mason City, and Kanawha, Iowa.
Today, Stellar is an employee-owned and -operated manufacturer with over 800 employees.
“Headquartered in a town of about 3,000, Stellar has over 800 employee-owners,” said Tim Davison, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Stellar. “So instead of just one owner of a company living in Garner, we have 850 owners that are spread across North Iowa, Nebraska and Pennsylvania and the better we do for ourselves, the better we do for our communities.”