Creating warm feelings and tangible memories
By Tangico

Tangico’s product options are aplenty, and its feel-good nature is also abundant.

It’s not often you get the warm fuzzies from a wholesale company from the very first interaction. But Tangico and its team will put a smile on your face from the moment you dial their number and hear their unconventional greeting. And their warm customer service only gets better from there.


Located in an old car factory in the heart of Pontiac, Michigan, that has been converted into space for artisans, upholsterers, and woodworkers, owners Jennifer Garrison and Sue Kinch, have found their calling. It all began with an engraved wine stopper that stood out for its innovation, giftability, and customization qualities, even winning a Global Innovation Award and a Best New Product Award at the trade shows where it debuted over a decade ago.


Tangico owners Jennifer Garrison and Sue Kinch believe in having fun while focusing on providing the best quality.

“The wine stopper started the whole thing and then we thought, ‘What else can we engrave?’” explains Kinch.


The product assortment grew from there and was developed based on customer requests. Now, the sky’s the limit with the number of customizable products and designs to choose from. The company’s top sellers are wine stoppers, coasters, ornaments, and magnets.



Finding their niche

“Our niche has become name-drop and custom products with no set-up fees and reasonable minimums,” Kinch says. Items ship in seven to ten days. Orders also include free point-of-purchase displays that maximize the profit per square foot.


The company has gone from one engraving machine to eight to meet customer requests and has field reps throughout the United States. Customers range from museums, ski resorts, campgrounds and even the U.S. House of Representatives.



Narrowing the decisions

Because there are many options to choose from, Kinch says working with a rep or calling the shop directly is helpful.


“We can help customers narrow things down and tell them what we’ve found that works based on past sales. We can make it easy for buyers,” explains Kinch. A customer can go with an existing design and simply add a name drop or Tangico can help them develop an entirely custom design.


“You are not going to find what your selling next door at another retailer,” Kinch says.


Products sell at retail-friendly price-points. Tangico’s average customer typically reorders four times a year.



A personal touch

The atmosphere at the warehouse is light-hearted. In addition to the entertaining greeting, the engraving machines are all named after women who have inspired Garrison and Kinch.


Billy manages shipping and handling for Tangico where he gains valuable life skills and self esteem.

And the good feels don’t stop there. The company hires some of its employees from Grace Centers of Hope, one of the largest faith-based, long-term life skills programs in southeast Michigan.


“We hire the homeless and people with disabilities, which gives us an eclectic team. Processing, engraving and shipping your orders helps employees restore self-esteem and get back on their feet,” says Kinch. “It is a really nice culture.”


Another nice thing about doing business with Tangico is the relationships that are built with the team in Pontiac. “Our reps and our buyers know us by name and know what each of us does here,” says Kinch.



At its core

Tangico’s core values include Accountability, Best Effort, Continuous Improvement, Have Fun, Teamwork, and Respect. A poster with these six values hangs from a wall inside the warehouse along with an explanation of each for all employees to see.


“We do what we say we are going to do, and we have fun doing it,” explains Kinch.


But at the end of the day, Kinch wants people to know that Tangico’s goal is to provide retailers with a way for customers to remember their trips. “We make memories and feelings tangible.”


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Facebook.com/groups/TangicoRetailers • Smiles@Tangico.Online • 248-453-5177 • www.TangicoUSA.com