file:///C|/Grayson%20Family%20genealogy/Graysons/Grayson-Richard-Roland/People/Grayson-June/June's%20articles/ACE.txt

Grayson Enterprises Ltd. First NA Serial Rts
Page 1 Approximately words
NOTHING BUT THE BEST
FELINE FURNITURE

Written by June Grayson

When Linda and Dave Brinkman were married eight years ago, they started a sideline business. The business was to be one that Linda could operate from her dining room table while staying home to raise their family. Their plan failed: their sideline bsuiness has now succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, and they are both full time perators of the business. For Dave and Linda Brinkman, cat furniture is big business.iT DIDN'T start out that way. They meant it `to be a sideline business, one that Linda could oeprate from her dining room table while she stayed home to raise their children. With over a 50% growth rate a`each year for the past `eight years, their gross yearly sales now will soon approcahe one million dollars and the company commands both of their fulltime attention.
Dave started work in a pet store while a high school student, and moved on to ma1a`managerial jobs throughout the pet industry.
Linda has her masters' degree in HOme Economics, and wordedas a quality control specialist in a multimntional pet food ocmpany in Chicago when they met.
Dave knew that there was an unfulfilled niche in the market.
TYhe pet hfurniture being manufactured eight years ago was of cheap quality and the companies gave poor serbvice.
Rtheir plan was to start a small company to su8pply that market niche, and Linda could mange the company while she stayed home to raise their chidlren. Dave would keep his full time job
isalaried position with a pet su8pply company.
Theys tarted with a small factory staffed with four workers iin McHenry, Illinois. Within one year, that facility was too small, and the next year they moved to Elburn, Illinois to a large 20,000 square foot barn where theye ventually employed fifteen people.
Within two years, they their grossed 100,000 and Dave had to qut it job to mange the factory full time.
If you work and your cats have to stay home alone all day, you need to know about the American CAt Emporium

their porducts range from a $1.00 toy make out of carboard with a bell inside, to a complicated climbing post four foot wide and six feet tall. The wood is all natural bark branches and theire are shelves, tunnels, and nests made out of wood and carpetedf. with
the same kind of carpeting you have in tyour home. In fact, you can even ask for something to match your colorschemes.
One of these climbing posts m,ay last ytour flifetime if you have only one or two cats. Fpor a cattery, where many cats play

They buy mill ends and samples from a Georgia carpet factory, the same carpeting you have in your home, ranging in price from $15.00 to $80.00 a yard.
Scratching posts, cradles, charis, swings, and even a ferris wheel are some of their other models DAvie is the desinger, and it is up to Linda towork out the desig and teach the empl..RR--!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!----!-----ees
how to make them.---R
and climb all day, you can ask to have it reupholstered

They buy cherry, oka, maple and other hardware tree limibs. They use only natrual woods, and inspect it well to rule out bugs and rot. They are the only cat furniture company to use realnatural branches.
The wood is in good supply because the size braches they use are smaller than fvirewood.
If you ever examine the furniture or have to rip soemthing out, you will be able ot appreciate how well it is put together. It is``` They use staples, all depeloy entrenches, and with pneumatic airdriven stampling guns that can deliver 120 pounds of pressure.
They feel that one factor of theri scess is that they did it the shoestring way: they didn't buy any equipment ntile they could afford to pay cash in full. Others go the other way and get heald over helles in debt with interest payments, and tloans
through the Small Business Adminsitration. In fact, they bought out another manufacturer who started the opposite way, with $100,000 rht of loans from tBA got discouratged.

So they took over his business of making wood naimal houses and toys. He also had a truch and trialer which they obubht.

they do not sell directly to custmeors but sell to distributors who sell to pet stores. Their rustic branch furniture does not ship too well in common carriers. So they now have two full tiem trucks and dri ers and deliver as many of their own products as possible. Theyir routes go as far east as the coast and as far south as Florida and as far west as the Rockies.2ported from Taiwan. That is why they feel their pet prodcuts do well. They are well made and wear well. WE constantly have to keep on top of quality and shipment and meeting deadlines.
AlmosOther people products are o

seem to be able to mange several facilities. But whey we cqcuaired two facilities, we had to make a decision. We are evidently the kind of managers who have to manage by keeping our hands on system.
So they consolidated their two businesses now in Camp Dougolas , Wisconsinkm factoiry over 20,000 square feet with 20 employeesTheir business has grown by over 50% each year for each of the eight years they have been in business. And their business is recession proof: we started the business in 1980 when the economys tarted to turn down. But people iwll always take care of theri pets. When the economy is poor they can't afford to go on luxurious vacations, or have expensive hobbies, but they can always afford a cat.
Tne years ago, the pet distribution in the United states was 2/3 dogs and 1/3 cats.
Now it is estimated to be 55% cats and 45% dopgs. And the pet industry is still switching. AS more nad more women work, the percentages can onlyu keep switchign to cats. CAts are easier to keep. you can't elave a dog home alone kfor a long time. But you could even leave your cats alone for three days if you had to.
Each piece of furniture is different and custom made. The personal maing the furniture takes advantage of the natural curve of each piece of branch and afashions the perches and houseings acordingly.

file:///C|/Grayson%20Family%20genealogy/Graysons/Grayson-Richard-Roland/People/Grayson-June/June's%20articles/ACE.txt6/11/2007 10:19:55 PM