Randy Belding remembers the afternoon his young son Jay brought him a broken toy racetrack. Instead of returning it, they headed to their basement to fix it themselves. Today, that moment of father-son problem-solving has grown into BluTrack, an Anamosa, Iowa toy manufacturing company employing eight full-time workers and up to ten high school students. Their flexible racing tracks, shipped nationwide through Amazon’s store, are redefining what’s possible for rural American manufacturing.
“We didn’t do it to build a company,” explains Randy Belding, BluTrack’s CEO with his wife, Amy Belding. “We just wanted something that would let Jay and our daughter explore and have some fun.”
Fifteen years later, Jay Belding manages operations at BluTrack’s Anamosa facility, which is tripling in size to meet growing demand. The town of 5,000, strategically located between Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, offers exactly what the company needs to thrive. Like many rural entrepreneurs who have seen their Amazon sales grow by more than 30% year over year, BluTrack has found distinct advantages in their small-town location. “The big advantage for small towns is your land’s cheap compared to cities, and your power is pretty plentiful,” Randy Belding noted, highlighting the benefits that have helped BluTrack maintain its commitment to American manufacturing.
The company’s growth trajectory has been remarkable. Since 2022, they’ve seen consecutive annual growth rates of 167%, 174%, and 108%, with expectations to double again this year. This expansion has been facilitated largely through their partnership with Amazon’s store, which has helped solve one of rural manufacturing’s biggest challenges: distribution.
The recent adoption of Amazon’s Warehousing and Distribution service (AWD), which enables sellers to store and distribute inventory in bulk to any destination, has been particularly crucial for managing seasonal demands, as 65% of sales occur during November and December. “Amazon saw a problem and provided a solution,” Amy Belding explained. “We’re able to actually produce more product right now and start to get that out to different distribution centers [ahead of the holidays].” The service has transformed their ability to manage inventory and meet customer demand, especially during their busiest season - a challenge shared by many of the independent sellers who now generate more than 60% of Amazon’s store sales.
For Anamosa’s economic development leaders, BluTrack represents more than just a local success story. “It definitely gives us pride in the community,” says Blair Lawton, Executive Director of the Anamosa Chamber of Commerce. “It shows other potential businesses that they can move to Anamosa and be very successful.”
The company has become deeply integrated into the community fabric, participating in local events and annually shutting down their plant for a day to produce tracks for the Toys for Tots program with help from local veterans. They’ve also been actively involved in manufacturing education programming for middle and high school students, helping to reshape perceptions of modern manufacturing careers.
The educational component of BluTrack’s mission comes from Amy Belding, a former teacher with 33 years of experience who serves as the company’s communications specialist. Her background in adapted physical education has helped ensure the products work for children of all abilities. “Whether the family has a two-month-old, or a two-year-old, or an 82-year-old, the track is really designed for all ages of play,” she explains, while leading various educational initiatives in local schools and libraries.
As BluTrack continues to expand, they’re maintaining their focus on innovation while preserving their small-town values. Their facility expansion will add another manufacturing line and create more local jobs, while their use of Amazon tools allows them to sell nationally from their rural Iowa base.
“We’re seeing a new economy emerging with all new products and all new distribution methods,” Randy Belding observes. “Having partners that understand this format is vital.” For BluTrack, this means combining the best of both worlds: maintaining their local roots while leveraging modern distribution to reach customers nationwide.