Greenhouse Fabrics tour re-cap

26 Feb Greenhouse Fabrics tour re-cap

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of visiting the Greenhouse Fabrics facility in High Point, NC.  We have worked with them for years, using their fabrics on countless projects.  Up until our visit, our relationships with most of the staff were purely through phone and email.  It was so nice to finally meet the whole crew in person, especially our fabric guru, Lisa! 

One of my favorite aspects of Greenhouse is that they are a family-run business.  Their story is captivating and one that resonates well with me.  Arnold Bjork started the business as a way to support his family, and now, the company is led by his great- granddaughter.  I appreciate the humble beginnings and the growth they have experienced as the company has evolved with the times.  In the office lounge (affectionately named the Bjork room and filled with comfy Love Sacs) hangs a history wall.  The wall holds framed photos of the original company office, a timeline showing the progression of the company name changes and CEOs, as well as memos on company letterhead.  The wall is such a poignant way of displaying this part of the family history.

As you can imagine, the whole office has gorgeous draperies hanging on all of the windows.  Company C rugs can be found throughout the building.  There is color everywhere, in the most inspiring way.  Given the bright, cheery environment, it’s no wonder everyone sounds so happy when you talk to them on the phone.

The showroom was out first stop when we entered the building, and it does not disappoint!  We could’ve spent hours in there thumbing through samples with beautiful prints, luxurious embroidery, and bold colors.  It certainly makes you excited to be there!

Next stop was the WOW Factory- this houses marketing and product development.  Here we had the awesome opportunity to see a sample book in its early stages.  We chatted with Emily to learn all about how she chooses what fabrics to include, how they are arranged within the book, and what the timeline is from start to finish to create a book.  For people who work in the sample books daily, it was really neat to see how “the sausage is made”.

Throughout our visit we noticed the personal touches they add to the customer experience.  We witnessed the warehouse guys cutting fabric yardage and packaging it to ship out.  Each shipment receives a tag with the handwritten name of the person who cut it for you.  We saw the section of the warehouse where all the samples are housed.  That process is as personal as the fabric cutting- someone receives the sample order and then hand pulls the samples for shipping. 

I geeked out majorly when we learned that Greenhouse is launching a new line in April called Anna Elisabeth.  Once again, the family heritage comes into play and the story behind the namesake will draw you in.  I won’t spill any secrets, but know that when the collection is launched, we will be carrying the fabrics from this designer line.

When planning our day, Greenhouse didn’t stop with just showing us behind the scenes in their facility.  They arranged a tour of Swaim furniture- a COM (customer’s own material) manufacturer, AND a tour of High Point University.  Swaim is another family-run business doing big things.  High Point U holds a special place for the folks at Greenhouse because many of their employees are either current students OR alumni.  The whole day they planned for us was educational and inspiring.

As a small business owner, I strive to treat my team as family.  Greenhouse has modeled a wonderful standard for this and I have definitely taken notice.  They win my business again and again by not only offering great products, but also by treating their customer so well.  They are proof that a little Southern hospitality can go a long way! 

-LIZ