Hard Work and Persistence Really Does Pay
Dutch Country Living Lands Spot on Inc. Magazine’s List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies - the Inc. 5000
By Levi Good, Proprietor, Dutch Country
A couple months back I got an email that was humbling and also exciting. It was from the editor of INC Magazine, letting us know that we had been selected to be on their 2018 list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the United States. There is only 1 other retail company in Iowa on the list. I was blown away! So many great companies have been on the list in the past including Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Timberland, Yelp, to name a few.
Many people don’t know that Dutch Country Living is the parent company that runs Dutch Country General Store, Amish Made Poly & Poly Furniture USA, and is headquartered right here in rural Davis County, Iowa. My wife, Erica, and I run the company with the help of our amazing team including managers Brenda and Jack.
In 2012, when I was all of 21(and a little crazy… ok I still am) I took over the reins at Dutch Country General Store, which was in some rough territory at the time. Since then, we’ve been able to grow the retail location about 250% or so. It’s a huge blessing to be able to do what we do. Trust me when I say I never thought, growing up on my dad’s dairy farm in Virginia, that I’d end up an entrepreneur. We focus on delivering a great experience through all our brands, both in the store and online, and delivering authentic Mennonite and Amish made products throughout. That’s what makes us special, I think.
Our store, just outside of Bloomfield, Iowa, is a popular tourist stop. On any given day about 75% of the cars in our parking lot are from out of town, and many out of state. People seem to love our Amish wood furniture, bulk foods, candy, candles, heirloom quilts, fabrics, wooden toys, jar goods, and more. They come back over and over and they shop online at the website from wherever they live. We ship orders all over the country every week!
In 2016 we started Amish Made Poly, a poly furniture company. Right away we experienced huge growth and it continues to double in size every year. Still, we try so hard to remain true to authentic Amish roots. Our poly furniture (adirondack chairs, rockers, gliders, swings, etc) is not made in a big factory somewhere; it’s made in small shops on Amish farms using the same traditions of quality building that they’ve been using for hundreds of years. Sure, the material is now recycled poly, rather than wood, but the tradition of fine craftsmanship remains the same.
All in all we are so thankful to our customers, to YOU, for all your support and love of our products. We try our very hardest everyday to deliver great service and quality items we can stand behind. Without you we could have never made the Inc.5000 list for 2018, so THANK YOU!
Levi
Photo taken June 2006. I was 15, Elizabeth on the right was 16, and Heidi on the left was 17.
I also ran across this photo which was taken a few years later in the summer kitchen. We were still doing cherries and, yes, it looks like we found Elizabeth (the one with the towel on her head) and made her help this time. :) It also looks like mom must have fully trained us and no longer needed to supervise the work. You'll note we were still using the same cherry pitter all those years.
Now comes the great responsibility of teaching my own children the value of hard work, along with the concept that by working now, one can then enjoy the fruits of one's labor later. There really is nothing like eating food that you prepared and put up yourself, especially when you get to work as a family.
I also swindled my mother out of her amazing cherry cobbler recipe :) (Yes, that is her actual recipe card; some people still use those...)
I hope you have an amazing summer, filled with the joys which God's creation affords. Don't eat too much cherry cobbler and be sure to share some with your neighbors.
Hope to see you real soon!
Levi Good
