Factory Direct Craft

mily. What started out as selling items at local flea markets and festivals has grown into a distribution company who support artists, crafters, brides, event planners, parents, and educators across the globe. Still run by Shari and her family, FDC maintains a personable feel that customers have come to appreciate. In fact, every single order that is sent from the Ohio warehouse has a handwritten "thank you" included. "We value our customers, and we continue to go the extra mile to ensure their 100% satisfaction." The story began in 1985, when Shari Doggett officially launched Factory Direct Craft Supply, Inc. Before it was the company it is today, she was busy buying placemats, napkins, chair mats, and lace from a Kentucky distributor and selling them at area flea markets. Originally calling her venture Table Mates, Shari would load up her young children while she went out to buy and sell. Success came quickly, but when her distributor changed its focus from country decor to a southwestern approach, Shari also changed the way she did business. She researched and found an L.A.-based company and started selling lace and fabrics, rebranding the company as Factory Direct Craft Supply. With her husband's loving support, Shari moved her operation into a five-car garage and began advertising in the back of craft magazines. She quickly expanded her inventory from fabrics and laces to a whole catalog full of craft items. The magazine ads and catalog grew their customer base, so when she heard of the new World Wide Web, the geek in her jumped on the opportunity to be one of the first companies in this new space, launching the company's first website in 1995. As FDC grew, the need for more space grew, first out of the garage to a 6,000-square-foot location, then to 20,000 in 1997, and in 2012, the company purchased their current building, which gives them 70,000+ square feet to fulfill orders. These days, the whole family is involved in the business. While the kids and their spouses run the day-to-day business operations, Shari and her husband meet with suppliers across the globe to provide not only the things you'd expect from a company like Factory Direct Craft, but those that you don't. "Our goal is always to stay ahead of the competition and be able to offer our customers a vast selection of items at great prices."