Paper with Panache
-Brent Damsz
Simple. Functional. Multi-purpose. These are some of the adjectives that describe the wares created by April McCrumb.
McCrumb is the owner of a.i. paper design in Berkley, Michigan, a company that produces more than 200 SKUs of decorative and functional paper products such as memo message boards, picture pegs and photo albums. With more than 800 accounts across the nation, McCrumb and her husband, Steve, have transformed her childhood hobby into a successful business.
Beyond Child's Play
When McCrumb was a child, she peddled pot holders to her neighbors, sold surf bracelets at school and handpainted crafts for her relatives. "I've always had a passion for being creative," says McCrumb.
McCrumb continued crafting while attending college at Eastern Michigan University. She created cards and books from paper scraps and sold them at craft shows. After clearing $80 one afternoon on an $8 rented table at the Ann Arbor Artisan Market, McCrumb's excitement for the art business was in full force.
As interest in her products continued to grow, the McCrumbs decided to move the business our of their house to attempt wholesaling. "It was a scary step, but we took it," says McCrumb
A Balanced Approach
One reason why a.i. paper design's products have sold so well is because of McCrumb's act of combining practicality with aesthetics. For McCrumb, something as simple as a dry-erase board can be enhanced by adding rich colors and a few words. "I look at things differently," says McCrumb. "I work to blend home decor with functionality." An example of this is her top-selling Brag Boards - lightly decorated boards adorned with clips to display children's artwork and save space on cluttered refrigerators. Other products include marker boards that have hooks to hang keys and decorative ribbon frames that affix photos to the front end of the frame rather than behind.
When creating a new design, McCrumb shuffles through shelves of handmade paper, ribbon and trim in search of the perfect color and texture combination. Once she finds a match, she selects various findings to add to the design, including charms, stamps, game pieces, ticket stubs and more.
Why They Buy
a.i. works closely with its clients. "We realize retailers have lots of choices in the marketplace," says McCrumb, "so we take a grateful stance toward them." Incentives for retailers include special holiday gifts and zip-code protection to avoid local market saturation.
Additionally, by being both a retailer and wholesaler, McCrumb is able to test-market new product ideas in her own two retail stores. "If a product can sell in Detroit, Michigan, market in this economy, it can probably sell in any market," says McCrumb.
Today, track your pregnancy; one day, post your little one's art projects. - 
