Stellar^® Podcast: Untold Stories Honoring Founder Francis Zrostlik

08.14.26

When the stories come about the founding of Stellar Industries 36 years ago, one podcast isn’t enough. We’re excited to say that Gary Bomstad, who co-founded Stellar with Francis Zrostlik and Jim Vlaanderen, took the time to sit down with company president Dave Zrostlik and Stellar^® tire service experts Tom Formanek and Travis Glidden.

Dave Zrostlik, of course, is the son of Francis Zrostlik. The get-together was prompted by Francis Zrostlik Day held August 8 in Garner, Iowa, the founding town of Stellar and still the location of our headquarters and several operations. Dave grew up in the business and has his own stories to share.

Join them all for an inside (and often humorous) look at Stellar’s early years, such as the first hooklift being mounted on a small Toyota truck that the team drove to state fairs to launch the company. 

Episode 1: Stellar Beginnings with Co-Founder Gary Bomstad

Episode 2: Tales from the Road to Product Innovation

Episode 3: Building the ‘Tire Service Truck Capital of the World’

Stellar From the Beginning

One of the first stories shared by Bomstad is that Stellar almost never existed. Here are a few excerpts from the series. View the videos for the complete conversation.

How did the company first come together?

GARY BOMSTAD: We were going to start the company with another company in Des Moines. As time went on, a few months in, Francis called Jim and I into a meeting and said, “Well, it’s not going to work with the company in Des Moines, so we can decide to just walk away or do it ourselves.” And Jim and I jumped on the bandwagon.

What was the first product, and how was it received?

GARY BOMSTAD: The first product that we were going to manufacture was a hooklift that Francis saw in Europe and thought would be nice to market and manufacture here in the United States. The first one we manufactured was put on a little Toyota truck with a 2,000-pound capacity. We showed that all over state fairs. We learned that it was a good concept, but every time we went somewhere somebody would say, “I like it, but I’d like to lift more.” So from there, we went to an 8,000-pounder, then a 12, then a 20, then a 30, in all different models and lengths. And that’s when things really started to boom.

DAVE ZROSTLIK: Dad just loved listening to the customers. The hooklift was a new concept. Stellar was a new company. It was a lot of missionary work to go out, and just like Gary said, they got in that truck and drove all over the country showing people what the concept of the hooklift was.

What kind of an innovator was Francis Zrostlik?

TOM FORMANEK: We would roll in to see a potential customer, and he just wanted to know what their problems were and how we could solve them. When you left there, you could just see that the customer was like, “This guy gets it.” All of a sudden he was drawing, because I’d be driving and he’d be drawing this and that. He’d be like, “Okay, yeah, this is going to work, this is how we’re going to do it.”

GARY BOMSTAD: I remember that so well. He’d come with a piece of paper, and sometimes he’d even draw it on the floor! We had to make sure we didn’t sweep it up. But he’d say, “Gary, now I want you to build this, but don’t tell engineering because they say it can’t be done.” So we did, and it worked. Francis was a true inventor. He was always looking way beyond everybody else in the industry. That’s what made Stellar what it was.

Hear the Full Story

Check out the inside look at Stellar’s founding in episodes 1, 2 and 3. 

You may also enjoy the initial Stellar Podcast, which covers the essentials of tire safety with guest Matt White of the Tire Industry Association. For more Stellar stories, news and information delivered to your inbox, sign up for our monthly newsletter.