Bamboo, rocks, leaves, shells and flowers are just some of the things that Livinglass uses to make its architectural glass come alive.
The San Clemente-based company generates about $5 million in yearly sales making decorative glass used to design restaurants, hotels, spas and stores such as Las Vegas’ Red Rock Casino Resort, Shoreham Hotel in New York, Saks Fifth Avenue stores and Marriott hotels.
Inside Livinglass’ 10,000-square-foot headquarters, about 15 of the company’s workers make glass products using a patented laminating process that encapsulates objects such as faux butterflies and coffee beans between sheets of clear glass.
Livinglass buys its materials from local vendors and custom makes glass according to specifications provided by architects, contractors and companies.
Rachel Hoffman and Michael Skura started Livinglass in 2004 after working in the architectural design industry for more than 15 years. The pair saw an unmet need by designers who were looking for new high-quality materials.
Hoffman’s years of experience in the architectural design industry and Skura’s knowledge of manufacturing and engineering technologies, led the partners to create a glass material that could be both pretty and durable enough to use in construction.
But getting started wasn’t easy.
Hoffman and Skura tested many types of glass, resin, lamination techniques and interlayer materials before they came up with the right product. They even had to design their own glass laminating equipment.
From the beginning, Hoffman and Skura knew that they wanted to put natural materials inside glass. They had to learn how to preserve flowers and leaves with the right chemicals so that they could maintain their color and texture before lamination.
Extensive testing on the material’s safety also was a priority. Hoffman and Skura had to learn how to make a glass product that was strong enough to be used for stairs, walls, guardrails and floors.
They also had to learn how to make their glass resistant to water and ultraviolet light.
But with the great design, the pair had to come up with a great business plan, something neither of them had done before.
“We had good design ideas but we didn’t know anything about finance. We just kind of winged it,” Hoffman said.
They attended tradeshows to get the word out about their product and relied on their past connections in the architecture industry to drum up business, Hoffman said.
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Livinglass offerings: durable glass with organic element |
The company took on small residential and commercial projects in the beginning.
Soon, word spread about Livinglass’ product and the company has been growing ever since, Hoffman said.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have such a following,” Hoffman said. “It’s exciting to know that people truly believe in our product.”
Although it can get expensive to operate in California, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks because the region boasts several industries and businesses that could become potential Livinglass clients, Hoffman said.
This year, Livinglass plans to come out with a new glass line called Light: a glass product that’s eco-friendly and more affordable.
Livinglass will continue to make custom glass products and will use its newer glass line to sell to large manufacturing companies that can use their product to design furniture and other products, Hoffman said.
Hoffman and Skura have considered bringing in investors to help take their business to the next level, Hoffman said.
“It’s something that we wouldn’t have considered a few years ago but we realize that it might be something that we have to do if we want to grow,” she said.
Sullen Is on the Move
Cardboard boxes filled with hoodies and T-shirts are stacked high at Sullen Clothing’s Irvine headquarters.
The maker of edgy art-inspired clothing and accessories for men and women has outgrown its 2,700-square-foot office and is looking to move to a 6,000- to 8,000-square-foot building in Irvine, Huntington Beach or Costa Mesa this year.
“We’re looking for the right place to grow into,” said cofounder Jeremy Hanna.
Sullen generates about $4 million in yearly sales and sells its clothes at more than 550 stores worldwide, including stores owned by Irvine-based Tilly’s Inc., Anaheim’s Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. and Washington-based Zumiez Inc.
Sullen currently employs six workers but plans to hire more once the company moves its headquarters, according to cofounder Ryan Smith.
“We’re growing but we want to do it gradually,” Smith said.
Hanna and Smith started Sullen out of their Huntington Beach apartment in 2001.
At the time, the childhood friends from Garden Grove wanted to make a clothing line that represented everything that they were into, from skateboarding and surfing to motorcross and tattoos. They wanted to carve a niche against local competitors such as Costa Mesa’s Volcom Inc. and Lake Forest-based Lifted Research Group Inc.
“We saw that there was a need for a West Coast lifestyle brand that represented everything blue collar,” Hanna said.
The partners juggled full-time jobs while they launched their clothing company. Hanna worked as a bartender and Smith worked as a graphic designer.
Marketing the brand was Hanna and Smith’s strong point. The partners had a lot of friends and were known to throw big parties in Huntington Beach. They used their popularity among the city’s 20-something-year-old crowd. Friends and friends of friends all started wearing Sullen T-shirts and hats and soon word spread about the up-and-coming label.
Friends, family and small independent skateboard and surf shops started buying Sullen’s clothes. The company’s first year in business yielded $36,000 in sales, which Hanna and Smith put back into the business.
Hanna and Smith moved their business from an apartment into a 1,200-square-foot office in Huntington Beach.
Sullen made money over the past five years but Hanna and Smith refrained from paying themselves up until about a few years ago.
They didn’t want to squander their money and were intent on building the business, even if it meant barely scraping by with their other jobs.
“We literally put everything into this business,” Hanna said. “It took a lot of sacrifice and passion.”
Things started looking up in 2005.
Sullen caught the attention of Sean Spearman, an investor that worked with start-up companies in the tech and apparel industries.
Linking up with Spearman helped Hanna and Smith learn how to operate like a real business. Spearman taught them how to manage inventory and hire appropriate workers to grow.
Bringing in more employees helped the company target larger accounts. Retailers such as Tilly’s and Pacific Sunwear started picking up their clothes. The company has been growing ever since.
“We’ve grown really fast within the past two years but it’s taken us a really long time to get to this point,” Hanna said.
Hanna and Smith refuse to move the business outside of OC.
“This is the center for action sports. We can’t leave,” Hanna said.
At the upcoming Action Sports Retailer’s show in San Diego, Sullen plans to introduce a new line of T-shirts designed by Smith and tattoo artists Tom Berg, Carlos Torres, Jay Langer and Jay Cooper.
