“Decorator has new Christmas ventures” in Arizona Republic
Phoenix entrepreneur Jamie Limber has Christmas in his blood.
After building and selling a multimillion-dollar Christmas lights-and-accessories business, he's back in the Yule game with two new ventures.
He's returned to his roots with St. Nick's Decorators, a decorations rental-and-installation business for which he is selling franchises.And he is preparing to open a pay-to-view multimillion-light holiday display at Scottsdale Pavilions called St. Nicks Lights. The walk-through display is open Thanksgiving through Jan. 15 and costs $8 to $10.
Limber has sold four St. Nick's Decorators franchises in Arizona and has deals pending in other markets. The cost is $6,500 to $14,000.
Limber started in 1989, hanging outdoor Christmas lights for well-to-do customers. He went on to develop a line of tools and accessories for installing holiday lights that are sold in retail through the country.
Limber sold the Christmas Light Co. last year to Florida's Dyno Merchandise Corp. for $5 million.
He hopes to broaden the appeal of the new business to include more middle-income customers.
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“Traditions, decorations and the holiday spirit” in Arizona Republic
Valley florists, craft shops, discount stores and other purveyors of holiday decorations are hoping for the "Christmas tree effect" to overtake consumers' frugal intentions. The term, used by Phoenix Christmas-lights mogul Jamie Limber [owner of St. Nicks Decorators], refers to the phenomenon of intense holiday decorating during tough economic times.
"During bad times, people want to feel good. And lights and decorations make people feel good," said Limber, who parlayed a Christmas-lights-hanging business into a multimillion-dollar company before selling out in 2008.Holiday decorations are sold at sites ranging from luxury department stores, thrift shops, drugstores, garage sales and numerous online sites, among many other locations.
It's an $18 billion business that had been growing steadily until the bottom dropped out of the retail market last year.
The National Retail Federation trade organization predicted a consumer would spend $51.43 on holiday decorations last year. The actual number was $43.45.
"Last Christmas was very bad," said Gabriele Edgell, publisher of Selling Christmas Decorations, a trade publication for the holiday-decorating industry. "Retailers that usually 'blow out' their inventories had to pack them up last year."
Edgell was unable to offer statistics for the year, noting the difficulty in obtaining market data for an industry that is primarily privately held and based overseas, mainly in China.
But she said that all those lights, ornaments and other holiday froufrou that went unsold last year will be back on the shelves this year, at a time when sales already are projected to be weak.
Indeed, the National Retail Federation predicts that the average American will spend $40.75 on holiday decorations this year, 6 percent less than in 2008. That corresponds with the 3.2 percent drop in overall consumer spending the federation forecasts this Christmas.
But the International Council of Shopping Centers is predicting a 1 percent gain in holiday sales, and others also are optimistic the Christmas-tree effect could boost demand for decorations.
But don't expect people to be extravagant or outlandish with decorations. Experts see a trend toward traditional: lots of reds and greens as well as glass ornaments.
Jane Lee, owner of Crown Import in Phoenix, plans to put the 14-foot fiberglass Santa Claus back on the business's roof, where it was a holiday fixture in the 1970s and 1980s.
"I hope it reminds people of the old days," Lee said.
Needed: Cheer
No figures exist to support the Christmas-tree effect, but anecdotal evidence is plentiful.
Residents who considered scrapping displays this year because of the economy are putting them up for the sake of spreading holiday cheer.
Jim and Linda Largo's dazzling outdoor holiday-light display almost went dark this year, ending a 17-year run at 5309 W. Barbara Ave. in Glendale.
The Largos, who own a small construction company, have been hit hard by the recession and worried about the cost of mounting the 130,000-light display with carved-out characters, animation and music.
"We almost didn't do it," Linda Largo said.
But she said they eventually concluded that "this year, more than ever, people needed it."
With the help of friends, the Largos started in early October to put up the decorations.
Michael Walls, who lost his job as the Phoenix Country Club's purchasing manager when the club closed last year for renovations, also debated whether to put up his more modest 8,000-light outdoor display this year, because of the expense.
Like the Largos, he is going ahead with it, but just the lights. He's leaving the deer with bobbing heads and other lawn decorations in the garage.
"It's my gift to me and my neighbors," he said.
Other people are expected to turn attention away from the outside of their homes and toward the inside.
"People are seeking the comforts of their homes and hearths and will try to make them glow this year," Edgell said.
Retail recalibration
The interior focus is a trend recognized by the Home Shopping Network, which earlier this year revamped its holiday-marketing plan to include more traditional interior decorations and fewer lawn ornaments.
Lee, whose Crown Import has been a holiday-decorating tradition in Phoenix since 1961, also has noticed a trend toward less ostentatious and more traditional decorations - and a desire to be "green," or sensitive to the environment.
"The Tuscany look is out, and reds and greens and traditional glass ornaments are in," she said. "People want multicolored lights on their trees, and they don't want the humongous trees they used to get."
After 2008, retailers are betting on improved sales this year to pull them out of the hole.
Lee is hopeful that consumers will defy the weak economy and decorate their homes to the hilt, although she acknowledges, "I bought very conservatively this year."
She said she is already seeing strong demand for decorations.
"My customers are calling me with orders," she said.
Energy-efficient
Retailers could see a boost this from sales of energy-efficient LED lights. The lights come in a multitude of colors and shapes, use 75 percent less energy than conventional lights and will burn for 100,000 hours.
They also cost significantly more than conventional lights, which means wider profit margins for retailers.
In Prescott, Donna Albus, co-owner of Christmas in Prescott, a retail store that sells holiday items year round, agreed with Lee that it's early but said there has been a steady demand for decorations.
"This year, people need to remember happier times, and Christmas reminds them," she said.
Albus and her husband, Edward, opened the store six years ago after moving from Michigan.
"We've been fortunate," she said, noting the business has been growing despite the recession.
Albus particularly enjoys the smiles on people's faces when they come into the store.
"It's a great business," she said. "It makes people happy."
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What’s hot: Traditional decor, metallics” in Arizona Republic
Reds and greens are in, and browns, mauves and purples are out, experts say.
Jane Lee, owner of Crown Import n Phoenix, says no more faux Tuscany this year. Instead, "people want traditional trees with multicolored lights and glass balls."
Forget ornaments that resemble comic-book characters, television stars or weapons of any kind, says Gabriele Edgell, publisher of Selling Christmas Decorations, a trade publicationfor the holiday-decorating industry.Outside, expect to see more nativity scenes and fewer inflatable snowmen, she said.
Nationwide, experts say people will spend more money on decorating the interiors of their homes this season than on the outsides.
The exception could be metro Phoenix, with its particular proclivity toward massive outdoor-light displays.
Christmas lights entrepreneur Jamie Limber [owner of St. Nick's Decorators] attributes the phenomenal displays to the weather. "It's a lot easier putting up lights when it's 75 degrees than when its zero and your roof is covered with snow," he said.
Those displays will feature an increasing number of LED Lights, despite their high cost.
"They're a big hit with consumers looking to be green," he said.
Donna Albus, co-owner of Christmas in Prescott, said LED lights in metallic colors are particularly popular.
"Everybody up here wants to save energy," she said.
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St. Nick’s Featured in Phoenix Business Journal
Jamie Limber has made a career out of holiday lights, and now he’s franchising his St. Nick’s Professional Decorators with the goal of creating a nationwide Christmas decoration company.
“There’s certain services out there that people just don’t do themselves,” said Limber, the company’s CEO. “Carpet cleaning is a good example. Ten or 20 years ago, people cleaned their carpets themselves. Now they hire a service. We want to be like that.”
Franchising a service has been Limber’s goal since he sold the Christmas Light Co. in August 2008 to Dyno Merchandise Corp. in Pompano Beach, Fla., for more than $5 million.
Limber is an old hand at Christmas decorations. He started his first business, the Christmas Lights Decorator, in 1989 and sold it in 2003 after it became the largest custom Christmas decorator in Arizona.
Now Limber has reached an agreement with Dyno to continue using the St. Nick’s brand of lights — which have become a staple on the shelves of Home Depot, Lowe’s and other stores — and hopes to parlay it into a nationwide franchise opportunity.
His goal is to have up to 500 U.S. franchises within five years.
To help him, Limber brought in Michael Vanderslice as chief operating officer. Vanderslice has experience setting up national call centers, which he did at Geeks on Call, and he has a history as an entrepreneur.
Limber’s board of advisors also features two McDonald’s Corp. veterans. Joe Beckwith was the fast-food giant’s vice president of operations and spent 35 years with the company, and Shelby Yastrow was with McDonald’s for 25 years as lead counsel.
Dyno sees the partnership as a way to create a national brand in seasonal decorations where the market is large but very fragmented, said Jim Moynihan, president and CEO of Dyno.
“The concept of making this a national brand of products and services is one of the reasons I wanted to buy the brand,” he said.
Building a brand under one banner has its appeal for those already in the business. Tony Snider, who has operated a decorating service in the Valley for 15 years, will be the first franchisee. He’s looking at converting his 180 commercial and residential customers to St. Nick’s.
“I wanted to take it to the next level,” he said.
The challenge will be taking the decorating business to middle-income areas. Both Limber and Snider said the market has evolved from one that was primarily high-end homes and businesses to one that is more widespread.
“It’s not as much of a luxury as it used to be,” Snider said.
According to the International Franchise Association, franchises made up 8.1 percent of U.S. jobs in 2005, the most recent figures available.
The biggest challenge for franchisees is one that has wracked the economy: the inability to find financing in the past year. Despite that, IFA expects franchise startups to outpace other businesses again in 2009, said Alisa Harrison, vice president of communications and marketing.
St. Nick’s goal is to target franchisees whose other businesses see a decline around the holidays. That could include painters and landscapers, Limber said.
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Avoid The Stress And Pitfalls Of Christmas Decorating By Not Doing It Yourself
Though the end result is almost always bright, shiny, and festive, the actual hanging of Christmas lights and other Christmas decorations can be a chore and take on an air of manual labor most of us would rather avoid. Not to mention that for the less sure footed among us, a trip up the ladder to hang those aforementioned lights amount to a treacherous journey. Before you spend the holidays hard at work or risk life and limb in pursuit of the spirit of the season, consider St Nick’s Decorators. We’ve brought the citizens and businesses of Arizona Christmas lights since 1989, and lent our fun and popular Phoenix Christmas decorations to thousands of municipalities, shopping centers, and homes in the area. We can do the same for you.
Let’s face it, the holidays can be busy and stressful enough without the chore of whipping your residence and/or office space into Christmas shape. May we suggest a goal this holiday season of avoiding the hard work of decorating by letting us climb up that ladder for you? We can service any decorating needs, from the simplest of light hanging packages to complete shopping mall environments. All of our outdoor lighting packages include installation, and the host of other great indoor and outdoor décor options we offer promise to bring the season alive for family members of all ages.In addition to the labor intensive nature of installing lights and other decorations that require you to leave terra firma, there is another aspect of decorating that you may want to consider. Simply put, it’s not the safest pursuit in the world. Many a Christmas stocking has taken the shape of a cast due to falls from ladders or other mishaps that can occur while decorating. At St Nick’s, our installation professionals will get the job done in a timely and flawless fashion while you remain earthbound, healthy, and full of Christmas cheer. Less time on ladders and more time spent enjoying the holidays with family and friends. It’s an equation that adds up every time.
Make this holiday season the most stress free and aesthetically pleasing one you’ve ever experienced by crossing decorating off your to-do list and leaving it to the professionals at St Nick’s. We’ve been bringing Christmas cheer to Arizona families and businesses for nearly twenty years. Join the growing list of those who choose to enjoy their Christmas decorations stress and labor free.
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Making Christmas Merry
Entrepreneur: Jamie A. Limber, 37, founder of Phoenix-based Christmas Light Co.
Description: Inventor and wholesaler of Christmas products and accessories
Startup: $155,000 in 1997 2006 projected
Sales: $8.5 million
Tinsel Town: For many, Christmas is about tinsel, tidings and wrappings. But for Jamie Limber, it signifies a profitable opportunity to paint the town red and green. It all began when Limber was a freshman in college and started a $25,000-a-year side business decorating houses for the holidays with a friend. Even while working as a sales manager after college, he used his vacation time to continue the lucrative tradition. In 1997, Limber went full time with the business, convincing two of his colleagues to jump aboard the Christmas bandwagon.
All Lit Up: Lighting up houses led to brightening whole areas, including Phoenix and Hong Kong. But while decorating was Limber's gateway into the industry, it wasn't his final destination. He started noticing a need for products that didn't yet exist. Ideas sprang forth, including the Wrap-n-Roll, a device that neatly unrolls lights and avoids tangles, and Black-Out Caps, which make covering undesirably visible lights merrily simple. "We think innovation is a mind-set," says Limber. "We're constantly coming up with new ideas."
Sleigh Ride: Limber and his partners took their inventions straight to the trade shows. They also persistently submitted their Wrap-n-Roll product to QVC until the network picked it up for their 2000 "Christmas in July" show, which resulted in the immediate sellout of 17,000 units. Every year, they introduce new products to more than 45,000 retail locations, including Home Depot, Target and Wal-Mart, and have secured 20 U.S. and foreign patents for products that help consumers put up, take down and store their lights. Says Limber, "Our goal is to change the face of Christmas decorating and the way people decorate."
Entrepeneur Magazine
Date: December 2005
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Innovative Christmas Products
Santa Claus, as most believers know, runs the most productive organization on the planet. With his crew of elves and Mrs. Claus, of course, Santa produces zillions of gifts every year at his North Pole headquarters.
The official CEO of Christmas is an apt role model for Jamie Limber, chief executive of the Christmas Light Co. Last year, with a team of five, Limber's specialty lighting products company generated a very merry $4 million in sales.
Projected sales this year: about $6 million.
"We're such a unique business. We say our goal is to spread a little bit of light," says Limber, a 37-year-old maverick in an industry traditionally dominated by the jolly old boys' network.
"We are probably the youngest company in the Christmas products industry in terms of age. Most companies have been handed down through the generations," says Limber, who readily confesses that generating such impressive revenues with such a lean staff looks a little like Christmas magic.
But it's really innovation. Not only is Santa impressed, but so is the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, which named the Christmas Light Co. the 2005 Most Innovative Small Business of the Year.
Creativity is priority No. 1 at the Christmas Light Co. Every product must be useful and inexpensive, designed for easy decorating and easy storing.
The four product categories are reels, poles, clips and storage bags, all manufactured in China and shipped either directly to retailers or to the company's warehouse in west Phoenix.
Retail prices range from $1.99 to $19.99.
Since its sensational debut in 1996 at the International Toy Fair in New York City, the Christmas Light Co. has developed about 50 products.
"I've been their patent attorney for 10 years," says Kris Halvorson. "They are so full of ideas, they have kept me busy ever since."
It all started with Wrap-N-Roll, an easy-to-access reel storage system that keeps holiday lights tangle-free, especially those awkward icicle lights.
Limber knew first hand the value of efficient storage systems after he and a friend began decorating businesses in 1988.
"We started our freshman year at Arizona State because we needed money for school," he says.
Even with a degree in hand and a solid career in corporate America, Limber continued to take the month of December off, not for rest and relaxation, but to spread an ample helping of Christmas cheer.
But after one too many "bah-humbugs" fumbling with icicle lights, Limber invented the Wrap-N-Roll prototype. Some 50,000 units sold at that first toy fair.
"The demand was much larger than we thought," says Limber. "I realized in the summer of 1997 that I had to resign from Philip Morris and go full time."
For the next several months, he researched overseas manufacturers and developed the company's infrastructure, hiring three elves, er former colleagues.
The first year involved making a lot of lists and checking them twice. It would be almost 12 months before the company had a full inventory of products.
And it would take about one minute to sell several thousand of them, thanks to the QVC cable network's Christmas in July show. Limber was scheduled to do a 10-minute segment, but after running a product preview, all 4,500 available Wrap-N-Roll products sold out within one minute.
"We never even got on the air. It was a very good problem to have. That was one big momentum year," he recalls.
Every year since then has been a momentum year. Limber still hangs lights every Christmas and consults with his former college partner, who continues to decorate professionally.
"We analyze every step, because there's a product for every action," says Limber. "We sell solutions, not just products. We have a faster way to get lights up and a better way to store them."
The Christmas Light Co. products are available during the holidays at 45,000 retail locations such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target, Kmart and Walgreen's. Although 99 percent of the business is wholesale, products still are featured on QVC, Home Shopping Network and on the company's Web site.
Limber's workshop already is in high gear for this Christmas season.
"We don't have reoccurring revenue," he says. "People keep their products year after year, so we have to come up with new solutions every year."
While some of the new products already are in production and will be available this fall, there's a top-secret innovation that might even surprise Santa. Says Limber: "It could completely change the industry, a complete paradigm change."
Ho ho ho.
Phoenix Business Journal
Story Date: July 1, 2005
Writer: Jan Bucholz
Link to Story
