About halfway between Cedar Rapids and Dubuque in east central Iowa, the tiny town of Anamosa, population 5,500, is proud home to Blu Track, a family business that sells toy racetracks made in the U.S. The company has brought manufacturing back to the community and created jobs for young high school and college students eager to learn new skills. Amazon has fueled Blu Track’s need for expansion, while the heart of its mission to serve Anamosa rests with its founders, husband and wife pair Randy Belding and Amy Fuller.
Along with creating new job opportunities, the entrepreneurs have taken steps to bring manufacturing to Iowa. In recent years, they purchased land in Anamosa where they constructed a building to house the company’s full assembly line, warehouse and main office.
Supporting the local economy through job creation is a core value for Blu Track.
“That’s one of the principles we were founded on and we’re proud of it,” said Fuller.
Blu Track is a dual-lane, flexible toy racetrack that encourages kids to experience open-ended play while learning. Randy Belding developed the signature toy by chance in 2003 after the couple’s 5-year-old son, Jay, bought a Hot Wheels track with his allowance money. Jay quickly lost interest because his cars wouldn’t travel fast enough, so his father saw an opportunity to design something different.
On his seventh attempt to create the perfect track, the elder Belding encountered a happy surprise. One of the prototypes he had created was a shocking blue color. That track quickly became a popular toy with his son and the neighborhood kids, who knocked on their door to borrow “the blue track.” Belding knew he had the right track and the right name.
In 2006, Belding partnered with his childhood friend, Jeff Borland, to launch Blu Track. They initially sold to friends, family and independent toy stores. By 2016, Blu Track had launched ecommerce sales channels with Amazon and Walmart.
Today, Amazon is Blu Track’s strongest sales channel and preferred partner, thanks to robust social media marketing efforts and a swath of Amazon customer reviews that have created more buzz around the racetracks.
As Blu Track’s sales picked up after the pandemic, the company decided to grow their team in Iowa to meet “exponential” demand. Inspired by her experiences as a K-8 educator, Amy Fuller began to pursue collaborations with local internship programs to help fill these open positions.
“We need to have that connection with our community,” Fuller said.
From the outset, their college and high school-aged interns have played a critical role in Blu Track’s operations, helping with small assembly tasks, research and inventory.
“Blu Track does a tremendous amount for local students and our community,” said Tristan Langson, the School and Business Liaison at Kirkwood Community College’s Workplace Learning Connection, which provides career exploration opportunities for middle and high school students. Langson said that, in addition to hosting interns, Blu Track participates in career fairs at local schools and offers tours to help students learn about business operations.
Among those who have participated in Blu Track’s workforce development program is Ryan Tjaden, who interned at the company in 2022 and was hired as a full-time assistant warehouse manager in 2024.
“Blu Track allowed Ryan to grow and stretch his mind,” said Trent Jeffrey, Tjaden’s former guidance counselor at Anamosa High School. He added that Blu Track “didn’t flinch” when asked if they would consider high school interns. They’re committed to Anamosa, he said.
“Blu Track is helping our students figure out their futures and stretching them beyond where they thought they could be. It’s an amazing company,” Jeffrey added.
Iowa native Annika Frank also interned at Blu Track while studying public relations at Loras College in Dubuque. After graduation, she was immediately hired as brand manager.
“My internship helped grow my confidence,” she said.
Belder and Fuller are grateful for their interns, who have become integral to Blu Track’s operations and to the spirit of their company, which is steeped in the Anamosa community.
“We hope that, when people think of Blu Track, it’s a good memory and they think the work environment is contributing to kids and families and the community itself,” said Fuller.