A Minnesota farm boy starting his own company and building it into a $300 million powerhouse to pass on to his son – that sounds like the American Dream. For Larry Zavadil, it’s reality.

With entrepreneurship flowing through his veins, the University of Minnesota graduate dabbled in various industries before promotional products, selling pizzas, produce, auto parts and eventually printing and office supplies. For years, he told his wife Diane that he could sell anything to anyone. In 1980, she called his bluff, encouraging him to launch his own business. A year later, American Business Forms was born in his hometown of Glenwood, MN.

“We wanted to work under a bigger brand so we could go into market and compete with larger companies,” Zavadil says. “You’ve got to have a name bigger than just who you are.”

In order to remain relevant, Zavadil has led his company through constant evolution. It took a decade after its founding for the Top 40 distributor now known as American Solutions for Business (ASB, asi/120075) to start selling promotional products. Heading into the ’90s, Zavadil and his team saw the potential of promo items as long-lasting marketing tools, and began shifting their business model to 60% print and 40% promo.

“We could see the opportunity and product offering for our customers,” Zavadil says. “It’s not solely about product – it’s about solutions and ideas. In order to compete in an emerging e-commerce society, we’ve had to transition our business into a one-stop shop approach.”

Zavadil’s vision has certainly proven fruitful as ASB has achieved tremendous organic growth over the past four decades. Between 2012 and 2017, ASB grew by 57%. In 2018, the company posted promo sales of $190.6 million, up 12% year-over-year, pushing ASB closer to a top 10 distributor ranking.

In 2000, Zavadil took a different leadership path, selling to his employees and making ASB a 100% ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company. A couple of untimely deaths within his inner circle forced him to question his own mortality, as well as the future of the company.

“It’s not solely about product – it’s about solutions and ideas.” — Larry Zavadil

“I thought if that had been me in either of those cases, what would happen to the company?” he says. “If we merged with or sold to somebody, the first thing they would do is shut down our facility and our small town would suffer. The best outcome was selling to the employees who could maintain our company culture. We’ve tried to create an environment where salespeople could grow their business much easier with our support. Under ESOP, they have a piece of the overall company while still owning individual business.”

When the recession hit in 2008, Zavadil returned to the helm, helping guide ASB back to growth in a time of economic uncertainty. Nearly a decade later, his youngest son Justin had climbed the company ladder, being named president by the board of directors. The father-son team ranked 32nd on the 2018 Counselor Power 50, up from 35th in 2017. The duo rose 17 spots during the preceding two years.

Talking about his father, Justin says, “he’s taught me that the relationships you have in life are more important than success or money, that people remember how you make them feel and to always do the right thing for the right reason.”