The Carroll Chamber of Commerce New Business of the Year award was developed to encourage and showcase businesses that strive for excellence in product, service and management. This is presented to a business opened in the past five years which has made an impression in the community. Lori Greteman with Windstar Lines gave the gathered crowd Monday night some clues as to who the 2019 recipient would be.
It was a part-time job while a student at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), doing website design for the university, that led to an entrepreneurial spirit for this Carroll business owner.
Austin Scott of Fusebox Marketing was surprised to be named the winner, saying after a few bullet points, he turned to his wife, Crystal, and told her he thought it might be him. Scott had opportunities to accept positions in much bigger markets, but he really had set his sights on coming home to Carroll, where he was born and raised.
He started out in 2016 on his own, developing websites and online marketing strategies. He soon grew to a team with five in-house and a few remote employees.
Scott says starting this new venture with a young family was a scary thing. However, that gamble paid off with his most rewarding career to date. He is appreciative of his clients and staff and continues to strive to provide a balance of exceptional services and quality of life. Scott says the long-term plan is to continue to grow the business here and work on the potential of developing satellite locations with a great company culture. Previous New Business of the Year award winners include: Serendipity Acting Studio; Promesing Image Salon and Spa; GehlPro Welding; Culver’s; Verizon Wireless Select Communications and more.
