Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo, off to retail we go...

A new client arrived yesterday. Their spirit was broken, but not lost altogether. Seems the last 2 years have been difficult to endure - diminished margins, mounting discounts, and a distributor to big-box played games with the little company with a big heart. The longer I look at their product, the more I imagine how such a great idea can have such a difficult , tumultuous path to the consumer.

The focus of my topic is to examine this phenomena of cyclical successes and apparent defeats we all go through during the course of bringing something to market. One thing is for sure - it is not easy. From the inception in the bathroom, or while driving along a lonely road on a sales trip, we get a great idea and can instantly picture it flying off the shelves at retail. Those of us in the fast-paced product development realm love the romantic nature of the biz, but we also realize, through experience and failures, that as fast as we process the development and deliver to retail, we can also lose all of that effort overnight by external forces out of our control. After talking to the client today, the emotions were apparent, the disappointment was evident, but the will and resolve nowhere near finished. Far more important than rehashing and grinding over the past, the client was ready to take a loss and move forward - a little lighter, but much wiser... When we experience the high of delivering our product to big-box, it is hard not be euphoric and celebratory. But we have to remember that it is just like a birthday - over in one day and followed by 364 days of normalcy. Those are the days that are most important to keep the euphoria, balanced by common sense and calculated decisions, and execute on the plan you set forward.

Next Post: The Plan

Spring...

I love Spring. I love the way new growth starts in nature and the business climate revs into gear. I love to hear the action in the office and the excitement we exude while pumping out new products.

Spring also means trade shows, product development meetings, product testing, design reviews, and major quality initiatives. If there is one thing that gets my goat, it's a lack of quality focus. When I find myself ignoring the minor details I know it is time to recharge the batteries and place a renewed emphasis on why it is we succeed as a company. Often, it is these little failures that make you realize the triumphs for what they are. Complacency is the evil twin of diligence. Throughout my day I remind myself that our customer, our total quality experience, and the privilege I have to serve our industry in whole are not inherently entitled.

Spring reminds me that every year breeds opportunity for new life. What will I do to do my part?

Where have we been?

Time flies when you're having fun. The last few months have been busy to say the least. Preparing for shows, developing new products, meeting new people, and learning more about the way we do business. After SHOT this year we regrouped, circled wagons, and sought out the focus we kept so much of last year, all while seeing other opportunities on the horizon. So what's new?

After about 7 years, we are finally putting our 25 year old embroidery machine to bed for good. She ran hard(ly) and seldom complained (except when she was running.) It was time for an upgrade, and along comes the newest Tajima to the family - A 6 head darling with flames and a 454...

Life in 3D. We recently acquired some new technology to help promote our design services - In a few months we should be producing more accurate 3d model representations prior to hitting the cutting room floor. The goal is to save some 2d design work that is costly and slow, thus improving our performance.

Vacuum formed composites. After years of requests, I just couldn't hold back any longer. We built our first prototype and are already folding 3 new designs into our products. Good work indeed! You should be able to see those soon on the site!

The fun won't stop there. We seem to be turning over a lot of rocks lately, and assuming we don't fall into the political crossfire right now, 2010 looks to be a great year!

SHOT Show, Part Deux

We returned a bit weary from a full week of meetings, introductions, presentations, and rare opportunities to just sit and relax. The show was in all, a success, however I must say that it's size is overwhelming at times and a bit confusing due to the nature of the Sands Convention Center. All were relieved to return unharmed, and ultimately, inspired.

The outlook is positive in the outdoor world, with many companies going above and beyond their normal offering at the show. Behemoth booths and striking detail in merchandise presentation made for a great experience. A lack of tasteless promotion made the week palatable indeed, as did the quality of merchandise offered. Most reported a strong year with an even stronger predicted, and some were as bold as to say their best was just beginning. I might not go that far, however, I can see a strong vector moving in that direction for us as well...

SHOT Show, sans cheerleaders...

Oh the humanity. Should we or should we not hire the often tried and true feminine profile to augment our booth and attract a greater audience? To use a bad pun here - I can't pull the trigger.

Hiring the intentionally uninformed eye candy may have inherent advantages for some, however I might contend that the service it provides does not necessarily meet the goals of the company in hiring such decoration. What does it say about your company? That you will knowingly employ superficial attractive devices in lieu of informed, experienced personnel that will actually speak with knowledge and informed verse? Hmm...

I was conversing with my buddy, also attending the SHOT Show this coming week, which stated he would be employing some of the aforementioned delights at the show. Even more alarming, he was asking his fiancee to do the 'flashy' work. Double whammy. When in Vegas, I guess...

We are attending with the sole purpose of working with our existing clientele, meeting new opportunities, and rekindling dormant conversations that could use an infusion of enthusiasm. Not to mention, spending a week in close confines with our colleagues and co-workers. If we can make it through this week, we can make it through any week. We'll make sure we keep our eye on the prize, and our heads down when the girls walk by...

2009 in the Rear View Mirror!

How quickly this year has vanished. We have had a great year (thanks to our great clients and employees) and have seen a lot of maturity to our product line and the systems internally. But so much more is to be done.

This next year we will be developing our retail lines, expanding our services for the OEM market, and engaging in LEAN throughout the company. From our wonderful client base we have learned what is needed and what can be improved, and in addition we have strategically driven our production capabilities outside the norm, adding our recent plastic fabrication disciplines and thermoforming functions. Look for more info on this soon!

Ft. Hood

I can speak for all of us here that the events in Texas this week were a horrible tragedy, and an event none of us ever wish to have repeated. My sincere prayers and sympathy to those friends, families, and the men and women serving at Ft. Hood. God bless...