Mike Ricklefs built his reputation in Wichita as an ambitious entrepreneur who transformed a small apartment startup into one of the fastest growing freight brokerages in the region. Known formally as Michael Ricklefs, he pursued business with relentless energy and a bold vision that extended far beyond local success. His journey with the king of freight reflected persistence, strategic planning and an unwavering belief in sales driven growth.
The story of Ricklefs began long before the king of freight occupied multiple downtown buildings. It started in 2008 when Michael Ricklefs worked with only a laptop inside his apartment. At that time he carried no large staff and no corporate office. He relied on cold calls industry research and his own sales ability. What separated Mike Ricklefs from others in the freight field was his confidence that brokerage could scale rapidly if the right incentives and systems were in place.
From the earliest days he immersed himself in learning freight operations, carrier negotiations and customer expectations. He studied the industry carefully even though he once admitted that he knew very little about freight before entering the business. That willingness to learn allowed Michael Rickler to build a foundation strong enough to support long term expansion.
Early Growth of King of Freight
King of freight expanded steadily during its first years. Ricklefs focused heavily on sales culture and financial motivation. He believed that talented salespeople would produce exceptional results if rewarded aggressively. That belief shaped the compensation structure of the company.
By the mid 2010s king of freight had moved into downtown Wichita occupying space in the High Touch building at 110 South Main Street and later expanding into the Sterling building at 123 South Market. What once operated from a private apartment had evolved into a growing brokerage employing dozens and eventually hundreds of people.
Michael Ricklefs described the period as a turning point. The company no longer struggled for survival. Instead it entered a phase of rapid hiring and office expansion. Employees filled the third floor of the High Touch building and occupied the entire Sterling building next door. Eventually the combined square footage of those properties reached approximately thirty two thousand square feet. Even that space proved insufficient for the pace of growth that Ricklefs envisioned.
Expansion into the Ruffin Building
As hiring accelerated, the king of freight required additional room. Michael Ricklefs signed a lease for more than thirty two thousand square feet in the Ruffin building located at Douglas and Broadway in downtown Wichita. The new space included the entire sixth floor previously occupied by another tenant.
Ricklefs considered the lease one of the biggest accomplishments in the company’s history. He anticipated filling the space within eight to twelve months and then potentially expanding to another floor. The new location offered more than fifty private offices and provided the professional environment necessary for a rapidly scaling workforce.
At the time of the expansion, the king of freight employed nearly two hundred people. Ricklefs stated that the company had effectively run out of space in its existing buildings. Rather than reducing operations in earlier locations he chose to keep them and double both square footage and employee count. The strategy reflected his aggressive approach to market share and recruitment.
Hiring Strategy and Commission Structure
One of the primary drivers of growth under Mike Ricklefs was the commission model. He believed that compensation created culture. Sales representatives at king of freight received fifty percent commission on their regular monthly sales once they achieved supervisor status by reaching twenty thousand dollars in consistent monthly revenue.
Supervisors also gained the opportunity to build teams and earn additional commission from the sales generated by those team members. This layered structure encouraged leadership development inside the company. Employees who performed well did not remain limited to individual sales roles. Instead they advanced into supervisory positions and multiplied their earning potential.
Ricklefs credited this incentive system as the engine behind rapid hiring. He often explained that strong commission packages attracted motivated individuals who wanted direct control over their income. The brokerage experienced a significant increase in managers rising from single digits to around twenty within a short period.
Hiring extended beyond sales. King of freight recruited employees in accounting, dispatch customer service and operational support. The expansion required balanced growth in administrative and logistical roles to sustain increasing shipment volume.
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Financial Growth and Industry Position
The financial trajectory of the king of freight under Michael Ricklefs illustrated measurable progress. In 2016 the company recorded approximately forty four million dollars in sales. The following year sales climbed to about sixty million dollars. That growth reinforced Ricklefs belief that the brokerage model he developed could scale quickly with disciplined execution.
He viewed the freight industry as one of the most stable sectors in the national economy. Every physical product required transportation at some stage from manufacturing facilities to distribution centers and retail outlets. Because of that constant demand, Ricklefs believed the opportunity for expansion remained substantial.
His long term objective extended far beyond local prominence. He aimed to position the king of freight among the top freight brokerage companies in the United States. The ambition reflected a competitive mindset that had defined Mike ricklefs since his early career in sales.
Leadership Team and Support System
Although Michael Ricklefs served as founder and driving visionary he acknowledged the importance of strong partners. Greg Bolain contributed significantly by developing custom software systems that streamlined operations and improved efficiency. Technology allowed the king of freight to track shipments, manage accounts and support sales teams effectively.
General manager Brandon Howarah also played a central role in coordinating daily operations and supporting workforce growth. Together the leadership team created a structure that allowed rapid scaling without sacrificing organization.
Ricklefs often emphasized that while he set ambitious goals, execution depended on collective effort. The leadership group balanced aggressive sales expansion with operational stability ensuring that service standards remained high even as employee numbers climbed.
Commitment to Wichita and Future Vision
Throughout expansion Mike Ricklefs maintained a strong connection to Wichita. He expressed a desire to contribute positively to the local economy through job creation. As hiring surged he envisioned not merely hundreds but thousands of employees contributing to the freight brokerage network.
Although leases for various downtown properties extended through 2020 and 2021 he eventually hoped to consolidate operations into a single large building where all employees could work together. He believed unified space would strengthen culture collaboration and productivity.
The overarching goal of michael ricklef centered on dominating the freight brokerage industry. He believed king of freight possessed the systems talent and compensation structure necessary to compete nationally. His ambition focused on transforming the company from a regional powerhouse into one of the top freight firms in the country.
Legacy of Ricklefs
The journey of ricklefs demonstrated how determination and strategic risk could produce dramatic business growth. Mike ricklefs started with limited resources yet envisioned large scale impact. Through aggressive hiring innovative commission models and continual office expansion he built king of freight into a significant employer in downtown Wichita.
From a single laptop in 2008 to tens of thousands of square feet of office space and tens of millions in annual sales the progression reflected bold leadership. Michael Ricklefs pursued growth with intensity and refused to set small goals. His vision extended toward national leadership in freight brokerage and substantial contribution to the Wichita business community.
The story of mike ricklefs and king of freight remained an example of entrepreneurial ambition fueled by sales expertise disciplined hiring and a belief that the freight industry offered nearly unlimited potential for expansion.
