Meet Jim Wilterdink | Designer Guy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jim Wilterdink and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jim, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’m kind of a serial entreprenuer. This particular business was the evolution of the age old saying, “There has to be a better way.” This came about as my oldest son was coming of age and riding. We had to get my bike, my son’s, and of course a buddies bike in the back of my truck. We tried the cooler trick, the center stand etc. nothing that kept the bikes secure was easy and nothing that was easy was secure. I stopped by a local fabrication shop and the owner and I sketched it out right there. Prototype V1 was in process. $800 later and some changes we had our first product. Our NiceRack, truck tie down system for three motorcycles.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have always been more entreprenuer vs. employee and have always looked at just about everything and thought about it in terms of business. For example, you come across a widget and think, “Oh that’s pretty cool.” I think, “How many of those could I sell? How much could I make them for? Where would we make them, etc. It’s kind of a curse, I can’t shut it off.

I am super proud to say that our products are “Made in Freakin’ America” I have it on my website, my email and event trailer. I grew up outside of Yougstown, Ohio, the steel mill valley. Many of my friends parents worked for one of the local steel mills or General Motors, or other very small local businesses. My customers are just like me and appreciate quality products and supporting our local economy and small businesses.

I am also proud of creating a new way of hauling motorcycles. While wheel chocks and the variations are nothing new, not many have put them on the wall, and nobody, to my knowledge made them using E-Track on the wall. There seems to be nothing as easy, fast and as versitle as our EZ Chock Kits.

I am a Financial Advisor, professionally and have been in a suit and tie for over 20 years. It’s kind of funny looking back, I took 4 years of Metal Shop in high school; essentially, to get out of the other stuff. So, when MotoProHQ started I actually had some metal working experience.

I love being in business. I love taking calls from customers around the world and helping them figure out their ideal hauling set up using our products.

I would encourage everyone to find that thing that makes them dream and come alive; for me it’s motorcycles and business. I try to live the wisdom Teddy Roosevelt offered in a speach in Paris in 1910; especially the last two lines:

“It is not the critic who counts,

not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,

whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,

who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again,

who spends himself for a worthy cause;

who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement,

and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly,

so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

“While I may not win, my place will never be with the cold and timid souls that never tried.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmmm… I live in the country outside Des Moines Iowa. It’s a small town feel with a little more people. But Honestly, I love the MOUNTAINS and have been known to, on a whim, hop in the truck, van, camper, whatever with the bikes and make a run out to Denver for a weekend to ride at Rampart Range.

An ideal trip to take a best friend on would include, adventure hiking, adventure riding, and local entertainment of shops, live music, and unique restaurants. Colorado has many towns to enjoy this type of experience. My wife has set up all our family trips that have been able to include all of the above. We have two boys and a girl, and they are spread out by nine years. We’ve had to be really creative. The riding areas we’ve been able to do it all have been: Rampart Range, Camp Dick by Estes, to an entire highway of riding fun: Buena Vista to Salida to Sargeants to Gunnison to Montrose. The Telluride area and Grand Junction/Fruita for mountain biking too! Colorado is the meca for families who hike, ride, and enjoy local fun. We tend to love the salt of the earth people and businesses.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The idea and business of it came from me saying to my oldest son, Parkes, “This (the NiceRack) is pretty awesome. I bet we could sell some of these.” To which he said, “So, why don’t you?” He called me out, so the challenge began.

Of course my wife Amy, who is my rock and my thorn, pushes me, while keeping me on track, and helping me pump the brakes every now and then. I won’t blow smoke, running a small business is hard as hell and bringing family into the mix can be bitter sweet.

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