If you're a bicycle commuter, you owe a debt of thanks to Steve Flagg, owner and founder of
Quality Bicycle Products (QBP). Flagg, who in September was named the University of Minnesota's 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Carlson School of Management, not only leads one of the country's largest bike distribution centers, but uses his company as a vehicle for promoting cycling as an alternative to cars.
From its launch in 1981, QBP has fueled rapid growth by serving as the go-to source for hard-to-find bike components. From a one-man operation, it's grown to employ some 450 workers who service 5,000 independent dealers around the country.
Equally important, says Flagg, is his company's commitment to advocacy. "We have a full-time advocate on staff," he explains, whose job it is to work with politicians and community organizations to build trails and generally support the cycling community. "Our values are deeply integrated into our business."
Given Flagg's focus on cycling, it's not surprising that these core values extend to environmentalism. "We have a strong environmental ethos," he says. QBP operates out of a Bloomington warehouse that earned one of the of the nation's first LEED Gold ratings for a warehouse.
The headquarters sits adjacent to the
Hyland Lake Park Reserve bike trail system, with commuter links to Minneapolis. QBP rewards employees who commute by bicycle with a four-dollar-a-day bonus.
While the company's been hit by the downturn, they've maintained positive growth--a fact that Flagg attributes at least in part to being a values-driven business. "There's a huge payoff," he says. "Not only are you doing the right thing, but at the end of the day, you get lower turnover and more motivated employees."
Source: Steve Flagg, Quality Bicycle Products
Writer: Joe Hart