Two Leading Gift Companies Merge
(Bloomingdale, IL, Bainbridge, IN) — Roman, Inc. and Cottage Garden Collections, two award-winning, family-run gift companies well known in the industry for their inspiration and sentiment product lines, have announced a merger effective October 15, 2008. This alliance will bring even stronger and more innovative products and programs to retailers nationwide.
Rich History, Family Spirit, Innovation Bring Unique and Collaborative Opportunities to the Gift Industry Cottage Garden, Inc., a sentiment gift company, was founded in 1996 by Angela Timm, a young creative retailer with stores in Maryland. The company had humble beginnings, shipping out of her two-car garage, staffed by stay-at-home moms and a simple philosophy: give retailers a fair price, free fixtures and excellent customer service. Four years later, her husband, Mark, known for his sales and marketing savvy, came on board and took over the day-to-day management of the company as president. Their combination of talents destined Cottage Garden to become America’s number one leading manufacturer and supplier of music and jewelry boxes and sentiment frames.
Roman, Inc. was founded by Ronald T. Jedlinski as an inspirational gift company more than four-and-a-half decades ago. Growing up in his father’s general store, it was a natural that Jedlinski made his own way in this industry. With $500 and an old station wagon full of inspiration products, Jedlinski rapidly carved his niche in the religious articles and giftware marketplace. Over the years, the company earned numerous industry, business and philanthropic awards. Today, Jedlinski’s son-in-law, Dan Loughman, has taken on the day-to-day management of the company as president and CEO, and Roman, Inc. remains one of the oldest privately owned and operated firms in the gift industry and a leading producer and exclusive distributor of more than 8,000 gifts and decorative accessories.
How Two Companies Became One Through Two Young Visionaries
Roman, Inc and Cottage Garden Collections operated as highly profitable landmark companies prior to the merge. In 2007, Roman had garnered The Turnaround of the Year Award from The Turnaround Management Association Chicago/Midwest Chapter, and most recently, runner-up in the national arena. Earlier this year, Cottage Garden had been named 1st Runner-Up for the 2008 National Small Business of the Year, which included an awards ceremony at the White House. The management ‘baton’ had been passed on to Loughman and Timm, two forward-thinking leaders. Over 18 months ago, these men were charged with the responsibility of planning their respective companies’ futures and seeking proactive means to prosper in the changing retail environment and gift industry. They eventually met as two savvy business owners with young families, and discovered they had more in common than either anticipated.
Through a series of conversations, each deducted that the world was changing, and that partnering with another fiscally healthy company with similar business practices and values, would ease the challenges of an uncertain future, instead of traversing the risk associations alone. Both have an inspirational genesis.
“We’re both parallel in that aspect,” says Loughman. “Business isn’t just about introducing product. It’s about inspiring the employees, customers and consumers involved in bringing that product into the marketplace.”
“Family businesses work together as a family,” says Mark Timm. “Angela and I never felt Cottage Garden was our company — it belonged to about 30 people who, every day, dedicated their hard work to it by providing excellent customer service, creating clever product and simply helping where help was needed. We were both amazed that there was another company with similar beliefs and values as ours — we are very proud to bring our families together to face and embrace an exciting future together.”
Planning for a Future Filled with Promise
Loughman and Timm look forward to building upon the rich foundation and to grow their company in new and innovative ways. Both the Roman and Cottage Garden brands will remain intact, with each headquartered in their respective cities. They will consolidate their brand equity, their rich heritage, and their wisdom of economic efficiencies. What will change is that both companies will take advantage of the sales force and showroom presence that Roman has built over the years.
Through this effort, the brands will build on those mutual platforms, create quality products, cross merchandise and deliver retail solutions. Cottage Garden is ranked #1 in Musical Gifts with GiftBeat and recently moved up to a #10 ranking in the overall General Gift category. It brings the pizzazz of an immensely popular product line and national media attention. Roman brings a rich history, a mature sales force, proven product with a track record, strong relevant product mix, historical platform and unrivaled inspirational products. Loughman and Timm both agree that one plus one equals three: both companies believe in this model and are happy to have found each other as they accomplish what they were unlikely to have done alone.
Today, Angela Timm has moved on from her daily routine at Cottage Garden to take on an equally demanding and equally rewarding role: to raise the Timms’ three young children. “I am so proud of this merger and fully embrace where Dan and Mark are taking this merger of these amazing companies and families,, both now and in the future.” Angela, like Dan’s wife, Julie who sits on Roman’s board, will continue to be involved in the strategic planning of both companies.
“I wish I was 20 years younger,” says Jedlinski. “This gets my entrepreneurial blood flowing again. The merger is part of our future, and I look forward to seeing what the best of two successful companies can produce as one.”
For additional information about Roman, Inc., contact 472 Brighton Dr., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, call 630.705-4600 or visit www.roman.com. For additional information about Cottage Garden Collections contact 7796 N. CR. Rd., 100 East, Bainbridge IN 46105, call 877.210.3456 or visit www.cgcollections.com.
About Roman, Inc.
Roman, Inc. is a leading producer and exclusive distributor of more than 8,000 gifts and decorative accessories. Among the largest privately owned and operated firms in the industry, Roman offers a vast array of Christmas decorations and a wide range of inspirational, special occasion, and year-round giftware. In addition, Roman is known for its award-winning collections that include the Fontanini Heirloom Nativity, the Joseph’s Studio Collection, the Millenium Collection, the Valencia Collection, Seraphim Classics:, and Jingle Buddies. Roman products are sold through specialty retailers, upscale department stores, select mail-order catalogs, gift shops and internet sites.
Cottage Garden
Cottage Garden, Inc. was founded in 1996 by a young retailer, with a simple philosophy: to give retailers a fair price, free fixtures and excellent customer service on all products. Today, Cottage Garden is the leading manufacturer of sentiment-based music boxes and musical frames in North America, with distribution in Australia and throughout Europe. With the initial philosophy intact, the success of every Cottage Garden product resonates by how well it translates for the customer — how it ultimately checks out at the retail register. The company stands by its reputation — at Cottage Garden, “we know how to make music!”
