Five QC companies thriving in the Midwest

Allen Parker is a bit unorthodox when it comes to naming his products, but that’s the kind of creativity the QC eats up – literally.

Three years ago, he started a weight loss journey that quickly evolved into a business: WOE Foods, which stands for "Way of Eating." Craving pizza, Parker leaned into his inventiveness and re-engineered the KETO pizza crust and named it phatCRUST, which stands for “Pretty Hot and Tasty.” 

He shared his culinary invention with friends, who then told their friends, and so on. Strangers started calling to ask if they could place an order and Parker realized he wasn’t the only person in the QC seeking delicious healthy options. He seized the opportunity. 

“I started WOE Foods in a one-bedroom apartment literally making pizzas after work, going at it around the clock and not sleeping, but that is how I learned I could do anything I put my mind to and started building my self-worth. There were a ton of people who wanted a healthier option and they came to me,” he said. 

The pizzas weren’t enough for his following; they also wanted something sweet that fit their keto and/or vegan lifestyle. Parker launched a line of brownie donuts – Bronutz - and will follow that with line of cookies he’s named WOEkies. His pizza crusts and bakery items are sold in restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores across the region.

“I’ve been very fortunate and it’s because of this community. They rally around small local businesses and that support is really encouraging, especially when I was starting off. It has been wonderful,” he said. 

“Since I started the company, I’ve been through four different logos and revamped the business twice, and people still support me. I don’t think that is something you could do, while also maintaining and growing your customer base, in other places in the U.S.,” he said.

QC, that’s where the business next door isn’t a competitor, but a mentor extending a hand. As Parker works his plan to make WOE Foods a national brand, he credits a community that willingly steps up to give business owners the insight and guidance to succeed, including his SCORE mentor, a coffee shop owner, a local architect and even a business owner who makes and sells pizzas in grocery stores throughout the region. “That is one of the coolest things about this region. Even though there are people who are doing amazing things in business they are still going to take your hand and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk and see if we can work through this together,’” Parker said. 

“There is just a push from the community to stay afloat, active and in business. In the QC, we don’t have shuttered businesses like you do in many places because you get the support here,” he added. 

Parker believes the QC is a home, a hub and a springboard. “This region has a small-town feel yet there has been so much progress. We have 470,000 residents and counting, so you get that taste of big city lights through all of the events and activities. And there are so many opportunities, whether it is getting a new job, learning a new skill or starting your own business. There is a lot of opportunity for growth.” 

QC’s creative current gives us an edge. “This is a wonderful region but our market flies under the radar,” said Tom Terronez, Owner, Terrostar Interactive Media. “People assume you have to be in some of these bigger markets to capture the caliber of talent we have here, and it’s not true.” 

His thriving boutique digital agency provides web design and development, and mobile and web apps to companies local and global. Its clients include the Rust Belt, a hip regional entertainment venue hosting to innovator LandJet, a QC start-up that provides luxury mobile office transportation throughout the Midwest. The John Deere Classic is a long-time client and the first of three PGA tournament event websites the Terrostar team created. 

Launched in 1999, Terrostar continues to grow. “We’ve found our sweet spot and that is building really powerful digital tools,” Terronez said. “Everyone on the team is kind of a ninja so we are able to build really high-end projects in a similar time frame as much larger teams because each person is familiar with different aspects of the business and we overlap in strengths,” he said. “We’ve been able to uncover so much talent in this market. Part of that is due to the company culture in which each team member is given autonomy and the ability to really flex their creativity. Each person is really interested and passionate about their craft and enjoy a culture that supports free spirit and community.”

Terronez launched a second company in 2003. Medix Dental IT provides technology integration, IT support and data protection to dental practices across the nation. With 54 employees and growing, it is a leading provider in its industry. “There are so many other companies that like us, rank at the top of their industries and remain headquartered here, too,” he said. 

While both companies reach far beyond the QC, Terronez has no plans to leave. “It is the good quality people, the cost of living and the stable regional economy that keeps me here. We don’t see huge spikes and huge dips like some of the larger markets,” he said, adding there is a strong collective sense of community, “and a community supportive of local businesses. There is so much that keeps us here. Some of my friends left in their youth only to come back when they started their families because it is a very comfortable and stable place.” 

IMEG Corp., one of the nation’s top five engineering firms, is headquartered in the QC, and one of its many offices overlooks the I-74 Mississippi River bridge. Fitting, as the powerhouse firm played a large role in the construction of the new $1.4 billion bridge and corridor that gives the region a connection with the world. 

IMEG’s 1,700 employee-owners are industry innovators and have expanded the firm’s specialties into architectural lighting, building performance, medical equipment planning and intelligent buildings. It is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, designing hundreds of LEED and Net Zero projects across the U.S. 

IMEG’s mark is highly visible across the country and in the region, whether you are taking a yoga class on a third-floor terrace that overlooks the mighty Mississippi or a class at the Western Illinois University QC Riverfront Campus. 

"The use of technology really drives our industry forward and really brings a strong flow of creativity into the work we do,” said Molly Foley, Principal and Chief Marketing Officer, IMEG Corp. “We are a leader in virtual design and setting trends across the industry. Through augmented reality, clients are able to see the design before going into the construction phase. It brings design to life, improves accuracy and eliminates a lot of change orders,” she said. 

“From designing interactive classrooms to using drones for civil engineering and land surveys, all of our work is driven through creativity and innovation in the industry and we will continue our adaption and development of these technologies,” Foley said. 

“Our more than 200 local team members work hard to cultivate a culture that welcomes all, inspires innovation, and drives industry trends,” said Paul VanDuyne, President & CEO, IMEG Corp.

There are more than 100,000 popcorn companies in the U.S. “There is nothing unique about putting popcorn in a bag and selling it,” says Jody Britton, owner of QC-based Sweet Tooth Snacks. “What makes us unique is we make the packaging beautiful and it tells a story.” 

The company had been open about 18 months when businesses began shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of her sales had been B2B so she pivoted and through social media let the region know it would begin customizing baskets for graduations, birthdays, holidays, and deliver them. 

“The number of people who shared our post was amazing,” she says. And the influx of business never let up, leading her to open a retail location where she and her staff use their inventive imagination to create gorgeous, individualized gift baskets. “The community rallied around Sweet Tooth and other local businesses, and because of that support we received we are able to give back so much,” she said. 

QC, that’s where the support businesses receive is returned to the larger community. Britton is generous in the many ways she supports schools, museums and organizations in the region. “We definitely give back because, without that community support, I don’t know how we could have weathered COVID,” she said. 

Britton grew up in a small town in Northeast Iowa and thought she wanted to live in a big city. “Here, I feel that exactly. The QC is the biggest small town. People are genuine, they want to help their neighbor, you run into people you know at the grocery store but at the same time I can take in a Broadway show at the Adler Theatre and enjoy top-notch entertainment and restaurants. The QC offers a perfect combination for business, life and families. I am proud to say that I live in the Quad Cities, I am raising my three kids in the Quad Cities, and I am a business owner in the Quad Cities.”