The Founders
Randy and Christine Meier are an energetic, entrepreneurial duo with a penchant for turning mainstay products into high demand necessities. Both have extensive backgrounds in the retail industry – his career began with retail store ownership and hers as a merchandise buyer. Together this creative team forms the driving force behind Canvas Corp LLC, their newly formed corporation dedicated to producing innovative products for the home.
Randy is, by trade, a Certified Public Accountant. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Accounting, Randy's career began as a CPA in the big 8 firm Cooper's and Lybrand. He spent a few years in the corporate accounting world and then moved on to begin his entrepreneurial career with a string of gift shops located in malls throughout the United States.
Christine graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Marketing. After graduation she traveled from Ohio to Arkansas to pursue a career as a merchandise buyer with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Christine was fortunate to work at Wal-Mart the final year of Sam Walton’s life. After leaving Wal-Mart five and a half years later to spend more time with her family, she began consulting for the suppliers who were interested in her product knowledge and her insights into what the consumer market would bear.
Randy observed the various projects Christine was consulting on and recommended she stop giving away so many ideas and that she begin looking for one that they themselves could take to market. That opportunity came rather quickly. After seeing a need in the market for inexpensive paper items on which to rubber stamp, paint and craft upon, Christine began developing a line of blank cards, papers and bags. And thus, this unique team came together to incorporate their first company, DMD Industries.
Previous Success
DMD Industries quickly grew into one of the largest suppliers in the craft and stationery market, supplying over 40,000,000 paper gift bags per year and becoming the number one supplier of cardstock paper in the market. The tremendous growth of DMD was happening in conjunction with the very beginnings of the Scrapbook craze. The two began to grow together, and by keeping a close eye on the market and its needs, DMD came out on top as the leading paper supplier in the scrapbooking market. DMD products were merchandised under the Paper Reflections and Paperabilities brand names and can still be found in major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Michael’s, Target and Office Depot. In the six years DMD was owned by the Meiers, it grew from a three man company to over 450 employees with a 275,000 square foot facility. In 2002 the company was sold and merged with a group of other craft companies.
Soon after the sale of their company, the Meier’s began working with small start up companies that had innovative ideas but needed direction and seed capital. They discovered an 18-year-old company in Regina, Canada that made galvanized windmills to aerate water. This unique technology used wind power to keep ponds clean and improve water conditions. Far from the world of paper and crafts, the Meiers embraced the opportunity to again bring something unique and helpful to the market. Together with partners John and Tonya Redd, a new company was formed – Outdoor Water Solutions. The company began developing a complete line of products to support the windmills and packaged the program for the mass market. The business is expanding rapidly with a focus on the development of new accounts and new markets.
New Ventures
With Outdoor Water Solutions well on its way to being a mainstay in the Hobby and Farm Market, the Meiers once again got the entrepreneurial bug. Having recently built a new home, they found a strong need in the market for basic products to use between the completion of the drywall and the moving in of the furniture - products such as switch plate covers that match the paint on the walls or simple nails and screws in unique designer finishes. Christine felt the best place to begin this project was to go directly to the Interior Design market. She quickly discovered there not only was a need for products for the home, but also a need for supplies used by the Interior Designers themselves. It was through this research that Canvas Corp LLC was incorporated in late 2005. The product line was released under the brand name Canvas Home Basics at the 2006 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. The line is inspired by interior designers, developed by merchants and created for every home. It is a unique collection of the most basics elements used in the home along with basics items used by designers. Each product is carefully designed, packaged and merchandised to look beautiful both in the retail environment as well as in the home, office or studio.
Canvas Home Basics has received much praise and is poised to become a necessity in the Do-It-Yourself market.
