Bet You Didn’t Know These Iowa Companies Started With These Names

Kum & Go stores in Iowa will soon be a thing of the past. The Des Moines-based chain was purchased by Maverick in 2023. They recently announced that the rebranding of Iowa stores is underway. But as the Des Moines Register points out, it is far from the first large Iowa business to undergo a name change.

Principal Financial Group

The financial services company based in Des Moines was founded as Bankers Life Association in 1879. The Register reports that it became Bankers Life Co. in 1911, and then Principal Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 1986. The current name has been in place since 1998.

Kwik Star

Did you know that this Wisconsin-based chain is only called Kwik Star in Iowa? The Register reports that is because when the franchise moved into Iowa, it faced backlash from Oklahoma-based QuickTrip. Thus, the name Kwik Star was adopted for use in the Hawkeye state only!

READ MORE: Iowa Kum & Go Stores Will Soon be Gone

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. 

Tyson got its start in Iowa during the 1960s as Iowa Beef Packers Inc., according to the Register. It became IBP and was acquired by Tyson in 2001. Now known as Tyson Fresh Meats, it actually sits on the South Dakota side of Sioux City.

Collins Aerospace

The Register reports that Rockwell Collins was created when Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids became part of Rockwell International in 1973. United Technologies Corp. acquired Rockwell in 2018 and made it part of its Collins Aerospace subsidiary. United Technologies merged with Raytheon in 2020. The combined company is now known as RTX Corp.

Von Maur

The department store chain traces its roots back to Davenport, Iowa, in 1872 with the founding of the store Peterson's. The Register reports that the Petersons sold the store to the Harned and Von Maur families in 1916. In 1989, the Von Maurs came to control the franchise, and the name change stands to this day.

Hy-Vee

Do you know how Hy-Vee got its name? I've shopped there for years and never knew! The Register reports that the chain started out in 1933 under the founders' names, Hyde and Vrendenburg. A contest was held in 1952 to find a new name for the store. The winning entry? Hy-Vee! The company has been headquartered in West Des Moines since 1995.