Pictured, left to right: Wendy Stobbe, Steve Stobbe and John Brown are all members of the Stobbe Design team. Stobbe Design is a local donor recognition firm that bases its operation at Pioneer Technology Center’s Business Incubator. To view Stobbe Design’s recent projects visit www.stobbedesign.com .

Most research implies that "thirty something" is the average age of today’s entrepreneur. Steve and Wendy Stobbe, may be thirty something and possess the entrepreneurial spirit, but they are not average.

Both Steve and Wendy attended Oklahoma State University and received bachelor degrees in psychology. Steve knew there was something else calling his talents, so he decided to go back to school and earn another degree in graphic design. Once finished with his graphic design training, Steve received a great opportunity to work in Kansas City as a graphic designer for a donor recognition firm. As his responsibilities with the firm grew, he discovered that he had gained the experience needed to launch his own donor recognition business. The big question was, "Where would that be?"

Both of the Stobbes were born and raised in Oklahoma, Wendy in Ponca City and Steve in Shawnee, moving back to Oklahoma did have some appeal, but wasn’t a given. The couple wanted to weigh their options. The geographic market for donor recognition firms is broad enough that they felt they could "set up shop" anywhere. According to Wendy, "We really wanted to choose a location that would benefit us as entrepreneurs and as a family. We wanted to raise our kids in a smaller community. One day Linda Brown with Evans and Associates gave us some information about Pioneer Tech’s business incubator program. We did some research and talked to Bonnie Cook, the incubator manager. At that point our decision was a ‘no brainer’, we could be close to our family, live in an ideal environment for our children, and grow our business in a community with great resources."

Steve and Wendy then created Stobbe Design in 2005. Stobbe Design is a donor recognition company that specializes in design, production and installation of donor recognition displays. Stobbe Design has been housed in Pioneer Technology Center’s Business Incubator for almost three years. Some of their projects include recognition displays at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Medical Center, Ponca City Medical Center and the Newkirk Library. Steve leads the company as owner, designer and salesman. Wendy manages the company’s office. And, the newest addition to this start-up is John Brown. He has been working with the Stobbes for the past seven months and specializes in fabrication and installation of the recognition displays.

According to Steve, the future of Stobbe Design is not set in stone. "We know we will grow and we need to decide what areas we want to develop. That’s the great thing about being a part of the incubator system. We don’t have to know all of the answers, we are comfortable asking all kinds of questions, and we receive personalized help throughout the process. I know we’ll move into our own building within the next couple of years, and we will continue to operate under the premise that throughout the process, our customer works directly with the designer. That type of relationship ensures quality work and satisfied customers. "

"Ultimately, being in Pioneer Tech’s business incubator made our business start up affordable. It’s been amazing. Bonnie held our hand through the whole process. She has given us the business management guidance that we needed. The Chamber has been amazing too. We have a great network of resources throughout the community. We truly appreciate the support and encouragement of our families, close and extended. Ponca was the ‘right’ choice for us," remarked Wendy.

For more information about Stobbe Design, call 580-382-1674 or visit www.stobbedesign.com. Or for more information about Pioneer Technology Center’s Business Incubator Program, call 58-762-8336 or visit www.pioneertech.org.