Surf’s up! at Russell & Mackenna

Surf’s up! at Russell & Mackenna

by Tanya K. Merritte -- Kids Today, 8/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Who: Lauren Russell, founder and creative director, Russell & Mackenna

Background: Russell and her husband Kevin, had been designing and building custom cottage furniture for family and friends as a hobby before deciding to try their hand at it full-time. That’s when Lauren, a marketing consultant, and Kevin, a financial consultant, enlisted the help of Lauren’s business-savvy dad, Larry Strassner. The three launched Russell & Mackenna in the Russells’ one-car garage in 2003.

Since then, the high-end manufacturer has outgrown two other buildings and is now in a 6,000-sq.-ft. space in Jessup, Md. The company’s product mix has also exploded with a variety of case goods for living areas and the bedroom. This year, Russell & Mackenna has expanded into stationary upholstery and nursery furniture, which includes a range of cribs.

The Process: Lauren Russell says random events can trigger design ideas. For example, she was recently inspired by tunes she heard by Bill Withers and Alabama while listening to music in her car. She sketches her ideas on paper before putting them in a computer program to create scaled drawings for the furniture builders. The team gathers to review and make any changes before the prototypes are built, a process that can take a few weeks before final approval. “We usually name the pieces after a family member of an employee or a client who may have had creative input on the design,” Russell said.

The Boardwalk crib is shown with a wave frill and ball finials. Customers can choose from 33 vivid painted finishes, $2,500.

Russell said her company’s uniqueness stems from its ability to customize each piece. She explained that work doesn’t begin on an item until the order has been placed. Customers can choose from 33 painted finishes and numerous cut-out options, finials, knobs and decorative frills, among others. “Customers become part of the design process, and that makes the product and the process unique,” Russell said.

Because of this customization and the brand’s high-end appeal, Russell said a good amount of its business comes through interior designers. Russell & Mackenna also sells to about 30 dealers, catalog companies and directly to consumers via its interactive Web site, which accounts for between 15% and 20% of company sales.

Russell & Mackenna’s dealer base includes two juvenile boutiques, a number that Russell hopes will increase with the addition of cribs this year. “We had requests for cribs for a long time,” she said, but she was hesitant because of liability issues. When the opportunity arose to work with upscale juvenile e-tailer Posh Tots – with the caveat being a children’s line that included cribs – Russell said she was ready to get on board.

The company offers three crib styles – Boardwalk, which has horizontal slats; Fence, which features vertical slats with a cut-out detail; and the Three-Panel, which is inspired by a three-panel cottage door. Customers can choose the color, finial and frill options with retail prices starting at $2,500. The Shortie dresser with a removable changer rounds out the nursery line.

Russell says the line comes at an ideal time. “We were ready to expand and we had a lot of options,” she said. The brand is looking at possibly teaming up with other baby manufacturers.

The Shortie dresser is updated with a removable crib changer. The cubby boxes and dividers are available as upgrades, $2,594.

“Now that we have waded into the infant market with the cribs and changers, we are looking forward to getting to know the market better, partnering with some non-competing baby brands and introducing even more exciting and innovative pieces for nurseries,” she said.

The company is considering showing at next month’s All Baby and Child Expo in Las Vegas, which would be its juvenile market debut and its first trade show in general in a while.

The Challenges: Despite the economy, Russell & Mackenna is still doing well. “We’re one of the very few companies experiencing growth right now,” Russell said, although she added that growth has slowed during the past year.

To capture a wider audience, the company is planning to launch an accessories line that includes photo frames and towel hooks, smaller pieces at an entry price point that will make the brand more obtainable to consumers, Russell said. The manufacturer is also focusing on improving quality control and consumer service and restructuring its internal systems to handle growth.

One thing Russell & Mackenna is not interested in is using lower quality materials or shipping any of its production overseas to lower price points, Russell said. “We have built our success with focus on a very straightforward mission to build furniture that uplifts the spirits and holds it value over time.”

The company also has its eye on expanding its mostly East Coast presence. “Getting the word out about the Russell & Mackenna brand on the West Coast is a high priority for us,” Russell said. “We’ve worked hard to establish our brand as an icon for East Coast cottage style, and we’d certainly like to build on that success and expand our reach.”