It looked like Chris Vorwerk was reeling from a Caribbean voodoo curse in During her first year in business, an ex-convict crow-barred his brawn inside to sneakily steal her expensive sewing machines and colorful upholstery fabric. Weeks later, the crafty criminal repeated the evil endeavor—except this time, Chris had insurance, but only by a couple hours. Next, she began an agreement with an agency to represent her company nationwide, only to have an unknown competitor squash the potentially profitable arrangement by threatening to withdraw all their business from the agency.
One step forward, two steps back. Starting a small business, she had learned, would be harder than Kasota stone.
Company growth has been surprisingly sensational the last two years. It would appear any voodoo curse has been broken. This business is driven by the talent of Chris. She has a unique ability for spatial reasoning, and to be able to take a concept and actually make it into a product that works.
For one, her father Rich worked for Kinze Manufacturing of Williamsburg, Iowa, a maker of row crop planters and farm implements. There, and with another business, also a farm implement manufacturer, he was involved with inventory control systems, purchasing, and personnel management. Her mother, Carol, owned two hair salons at one point, was a hairdresser, and rented out space to up to five hairdressers. When Chris was age 10, Rich had resettled the family there after a stint working in southern California.
For her and her three siblings, rural Iowa was a culture shock. Rich and Carol were straightforward, honest, caring people steeped in midwestern values.
