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Being a family-owned business that operates small airport gift shops contributes to the close-knit relationship employees of The Paradies Shops Inc. enjoy. One of the largest airport retailers, the company operates two gift shops at Des Moines International Airport.

“We do little things for each other,” said Amy Beeghley, general manager for Paradies’ Des Moines operations. “We had a girl out on maternity leave, and we brought in baby clothes for her,” she said. Paradies operates a shop in the main terminal as well as one near the gates, with about seven employees at each location.

Based in Atlanta, Paradies operates more than 500 stores in more than 70 markets in North America. Its gift shops carry clothing brands that range from Harley-Davidson to Brooks Brothers. The company also operates several hotel properties.

Paradies opened at the Des Moines airport in July 1997, filling two 2,000-square-foot shops with essential travel items, as well as fun stuff like Iowa-made foods and wines.

“I’ve had numerous people compliment us on how nice the shops look,” said Beeghley, a Pittsburgh native who has transferred several times during her more than 17 years with the company. “With as much as we try to keep local, I think that has a lot to do with it.”

The 50-year-old company has been recognized nationally as well. It has been named “best airport retailer” by Airport Revenue News for the past 15 years, and was also recognized as the “retailer with the highest regard for customer service” by the trade association in each of the last 14 years.

The company encourages excellent customer service through its “First-Class Service Program,” through which employees can nominate their peers to be awarded points they can redeem for merchandise through an online employee recognition site.

Paradies also extends full health-care coverage to all of its employees, including part-time workers, pays for employees’ uniforms and offers 50 percent employee discounts on all merchandise it sells.

The pace can be hectic during peak travel times such as the holidays, but that also means different interesting people to meet every day, said Beeghley.

“I think a lot of times, even though the information booth is right there in the middle, the gift shop becomes information central as well,” she said. “Every once in a while, I get to see a celebrity; I met Ray Liotta when he was doing a movie here. And then you see all the candidates and national news people during the caucuses.”