Here’s a local small-business success story that is an example of using the resources in Greater Des Moines.
      
Clint Dudley began Shade Tree Auto, during nights and weekends in 2001. It was a side job. 

“In 2003, I committed to full-time,” he wrote to the Business Record. He enrolled in a business development program at the Pappajohn Education Center and “left with   a business plan that helped secure funding for our first location in Grimes in 2005.”

A next important step was joining the Grimes and Urbandale chambers of commerce to network and learn, he explained. Dudley said the business grew, as did involvement in the community. Shade Tree earned several awards.

The business received a Small Business Administration loan, which allowed it to open a new location in March 2017.

In the last few months, Shade Tree was named the winner of the Gold Stevie Award in the Company of the Year – Retail-Small category in the 15th Annual International Business Awards. The 2018 IBAs received 
3,900 entries from 74 nations and territories, according to its website.

Dudley stressed the importance of community in its journey to the award.

“It takes everyone in our organization to achieve world-class recognition. … It takes the support of our local chambers, our community, and family to grow any small business.” 

As for the name, Dudley’s dad came up with Shade Tree, he said. It honors a tree at Dudley’s first home in Johnston that had a canopy that covered the home, deck and garage where he started the business. 

“In our industry, shade tree mechanics were traditionally those without means, and made do with what they had in order to make a repair. That fit our culture early on,” Dudley wrote.

While the new Grimes location doesn’t have a tree on the property, architect Bryan Huggins at ID8 in Des Moines incorporated a “tree” into the lobby area.