Making Memories

Making Memories History

Mix two parts home-spun design talent with one part Fortune 500 leadership, sprinkle in a passion for memories, and you have the ingredients for creating one of the country's leading memory preservation companies. Utah-based Making Memories is one of today's most recognized scrapbooking supply manufacturers, whose designers are considered among the industry's most admired trendsetters.

As recently as 1997, Making Memories was a small garage-based operation run by company founder Bridgette Server. As demand for the company's innovative product grew, Bridgette recruited some of the nation's most talented experts in design, sourcing, and business administration. In just four short years, Bridgette and her team opened 18 stores across the country, and built an enormous manufacturing center.

The exponential demand for Making Memories' unique designs encouraged Bridgette to sell the company's retail division to focus entirely on wholesale operations. The unleashing of creative and business talent on product development helped the company expand at a breathtaking pace – one that made company an attractive acquisition for investment firms Petersen Capital, and later, Advent International -- a leading global mid-market buyout firm. In 2005, Advent acquired a majority stake in the company, further propelling the company's explosive success.

Today, Making Memories' executive staff hails from all facets of business and backgrounds. Whether they came from economic powerhouses such as Quaker Industries, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and eBay; or from a design or parenting background, every team member has an equal voice. And creativity is invited from all divisions of the company.

Such a balanced and creative mix has helped Making Memories continue its strong expansion amidst shifting buying patterns. The company remains a leader in establishing new niche trends and reaching out to new markets, thus creating a draw into the scrapbooking industry. “ The opportunity to grow the customer base has just begun,” explains Company CEO Danny Hansen. “People are more aware than ever that photographs can offer so much more when they are put into context – when they can have words and memorabilia surrounding them. This is not a fad – this is an evolution in how people think about preserving their memories.”

With Making Memories' unique blend of business proficiency and trend-setting creativity, the company now offers more than 5,500 individual products designed to appeal to beginners and expert hobbyists alike. An increased emphasis on elegant-yet-simple kits that help time-pressed scrapbookers complete an entire book in one sitting has further poised the company to capture new consumers. Creative Director Paula Chen Su believes that Making Memories' objective is to serve as a conduit through which retailers can connect with fresh, eager novices.

“We're reaching out to the beginner through every imaginable touch point,” Chen Su explains. “ Whether it's through demonstrations at non-scrapbooking consumer shows; easing people into the hobby through card making; or publicizing our trend-setting products' through mass consumer media, we're leveraging our recognition to help generate new traffic. Once consumers experience Making Memories, we strive to connect end-users to our retail partners through newsletters, direct mail, and in-package promotions.”

Today, Making Memories' retail partners are enjoying the benefits of a nearly $1 million high-tech application that has elevated on-time shipping performance beyond 90%. They are experiencing a new communications program including newsletter updates featuring national promotions, educational outreach opportunities, and lists of best-sellers. Future news alerts will profile retail partners whose sell-through rates are above industry average, and provide case studies for such success.

And back in the office, the eclectic blend of buttoned-up-professionals and off-the-wall creative authorities work side-by-side to deliver the most advanced, must-have products and eye-catching promotions … all to give their customers the edge.