We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adam Brand a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Adam, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The biggest challenge to profitability in our industry is competing with cheap overseas factories. While we produce high-quality, handmade flowers in New York, many clients are drawn to cheaper options, even if they sacrifice quality.
For example, we once created hundreds of flowers for a major event with strict quality standards. The labor and materials were costly, and although the end result was beautiful, the profit was minimal. Competing against lower-quality, mass-produced alternatives makes it tough to maintain both quality and profitability.
Adam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Adam Brand, the fourth generation at M&S Schmalberg, the last domestic manufacturer of handmade fabric flowers in the U.S. Founded in 1916 by Morris and Sam Schmalberg, the company was later carried on by my grandfather Harold Brand and my grandmother Renee, then by my father Warren and my aunt Debra.
We create custom fabric flowers, petals, and leaves for a diverse clientele—ranging from top fashion designers to individuals with personal requests, like transforming heirloom fabrics into flowers. Each piece is hand-crafted in our New York atelier, using vintage irons and traditional techniques. Our clients come to us for the quality and authenticity that mass production just can’t match.
What makes me proud is our dedication to artistry and heritage in a field dominated by overseas, low-quality alternatives. Potential clients should know they’re not just getting a beautiful flower; they’re supporting a piece of New York’s history, made with care by craftspeople who truly value each petal and leaf we create.
Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?
About a decade ago, we were running with half the staff we have now, and I remember watching our checkbook shrink while expenses like rent and payroll loomed. We had no work in-house, and my dad, Warren, would turn to me and say, “Adam, we need work.” Those were stressful times, but just when things seemed bleakest, an order would always come through, giving us the lifeline we needed.
It’s a testament to the resilience of our craft and the loyalty of our clients. Somehow, the business has always found a way to keep going, even in tough times.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
We used to sell directly on our website, but the backend setup was inefficient. Though I realize there are better options now, we’ve since shifted to selling on Etsy and Amazon, which have both been great opportunities for us. Etsy, in particular, stands out as a user-friendly platform that helps us reach a broad audience.
The main pros are the ease of setup, built-in customer base, and SEO support on these platforms, which boost our visibility without needing an in-house e-commerce team. The downside, of course, is that we pay fees to each platform, and we’re subject to their policies, which means less control over certain aspects of our sales process. But overall, it’s been a positive shift for us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://customfabricflowers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/customfabricflowers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CustomFabricFlowers/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Schmalberg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CustomFabricFlowers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-and-s-schmalberg-new-york-2
