Iron Man Entrepreneur

Ted Herget

Owner and Founder, Gearhead Outfitters, Inc.

Ted Herget graduated from Arkansas State University with a degree in accounting. He has since grown his small business from a friend’s living room to a retail chain now in three states.

Herget lives the lifestyle he created his business around. He has competed in multiple events, including 20 plus marathons and ultra marathons (including two 100 mile races), the LeadMan series, sprint and IronMan Triathlons, and bike races.

The Herget family resides in Jonesboro and is very active in the community.

Q&A

Hometown:  Jonesboro

First job:  When I was 14, I worked in the Pro Shop at Jonesboro Country Club. I fished golf balls out of the ponds and cleaned them after school and on weekends.

What’s an interesting fact about you that would surprise others?

My business motto has always been to hire people better than myself, and I feel I have done that at Gearhead. I have a great team who work just as hard as I do, and I trust them to lead our company well. I no longer have to make the day-to-day decisions for Gearhead, so I’m actually not in the store every day. I can now work on other projects in our community to restore the heart of Jonesboro. I love creating and visualizing projects and renovating old spaces.

What are you passionate about? Restoration. Bringing life back to old buildings, old parts of town and forgotten structures gives me a lot of satisfaction. When Gearhead moved into downtown Jonesboro we were part of the revitalization of Main Street, and when we purchased the Cycle House building, we renovated it to its original 1904 building layout and facade. We are excited to continue expanding into new cities so we can be a part of their communities. We want to employ local people, support local organizations and nonprofits, and do our part to invest in the future of those communities.

Favorite place in the world:  Colorado mountain towns in the summer.

One word that describes you:  Passionate

Favorite food:  Pepperoni pizza

Volunteer work:  I am very involved with my alma mater, Arkansas State University. Gearhead endowed the first full-ride scholarship through the ASU College of Business three years ago. I accept regular speaking engagements on campus.

I am also involved with our running community. I am very passionate about teaching others the proper way to run through Project 90, our online running program, weekly group runs and Gearhead fitness events.

What is the accomplishment you’re most proud of?  Adding my wife to the team 12 years ago was a great accomplishment. She balances me out and is a positive light among our staff.

What’s left on your bucket list:  I’ve been fortunate to accomplish so many things in my life so far. Now, watching my kids grow up and passing the torch on to them, and spending as much time as I can with them is one of the most important things in my life.

Click here to read more about the 2017 Class of Intriguing Men.


Photo by Rachel Thieme