A Modern Day Michelangelo

In January 1997, Rhonda Fulmer, a small business owner and former corporate CFO, and Michael Fulmer, a small business owner and talented artist and master craftsman, were married. At that time, the couple had no idea their abilities and visions would coalesce into an expansion of Michael’s company, Renaissance Designs SC, LLC.

Him

For Michael, it began two years before their marriage when he founded Renaissance Designs, creating luxury custom cabinet and furniture for residential
and commercial use. He conceived the company amid the dust, wood shavings, and sweat of his modest West Columbia, SC, workshop. Michael was already well
known for his quality of craftsmanship, penchant for stylish design, and emphasis on detail.

Her

For Rhonda, it began when she was considering either a career change or expansion of her company, Artistic Walls and Design. She began taking classes in long-term sales training and business development. It wasn’t until 2003 when she saw the extraordinary and breathtaking furniture samples Michael was producing for a marketing plan that she knew she didn’t need to look elsewhere to use her abilities. Renaissance Designs was already a custom shop with full, in-house fabrication facilities producing a variety of high-end custom cabinetry and furniture. The next step was growth and expansion and was where Rhonda felt she could contribute to Michael’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Coming Together{mosimage}

Rhonda gradually became more involved, and in 2004, she began to work full time with her husband on an expansion strategy. Renaissance Designs SC, LLC was formed, jointly held by Michael and Rhonda, with Michael responsible for operations, production, design, and facilities management and Rhonda responsible for marketing, sales, finance, accounting, and customer service.

Expansion Begins

The first order of business was examination of the company’s previous sales history and implementation of a formal sales system, which boosted sales 186%. The workshop was now producing beyond capacity, which resulted in extra shift work to make up for lack of space, equipment, and labor. More space and equipment were needed to increase production capacity. The Fulmers began to search for a larger workshop, and in June 2005, they found the perfect building. They knew they needed a business plan to get necessary financing, so they purchased business planning software to help expedite the process. Getting nowhere with the new software, Rhonda contacted Haidee Stith, director of the South Carolina Women’s Business Center (SCWBC), whom she had first met at the “Find Your Way To Profit” seminar held at Columbia College. Haidee encouraged Rhonda to get assistance from SCWBC Counselor Bill Littlejohn.

“Bill’s assistance was the key that ‘unlocked the deadbolt on our business plan door’ and allowed us to launch our first business plan,” recalls Rhonda.
Haidee also suggested the Fulmers contact Tim Sinclair of the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), SCWBC’s sister organization, for help with strategic target marketing. Tim introduced the Fulmers to FastTrac, a practical hands-on business development program that was being offered through Trident Technical College.

{mosimage}“SCWBC and SCMEP have really made the difference in our attempts to make the vision to expand Renaissance Designs a reality,” says Rhonda. “Their counselors anticipate the next step and ask the hard questions. Their ‘what’s next and can we help you with that’ approach has made our expansion
less daunting and more challenging, giving us hope and increasing our chances of survival.”

With the business plan in hand, the Fulmers were able to secure funding for the building and closed the deal in October 2005. However, meeting building regulations as well as enhancing and modifying the building presented its challenges. Once again, SCWBC staff helped by matching them up with Vivian Harper, SCMEP’s environmental, safety and health specialist, who was able to help with DHEC compliance and the layout of the new workshop.

Success and Beyond

The collaborative efforts resulted in Renaissance Designs SC being awarded the Chairman’s Award at a Carolina Classic Home & Garden Show for its presentation of stylish furniture. More recently, the City of Columbia’s Office of Economic Development named the company Business of the Month.

Looking ahead, Rhonda and Michael agree the key to continued growth includes maintaining existing and developing new working relationships
with strategic referral sources, especially architects, interior designers, and builders; bringing their new facility to maximum production within three years; and opening channels of communication with furniture manufacturers.

Renaissance Designs SC, LLC

Office:

724 Meadow Street,
Columbia, SC 29205
803-799-4865

Workshop:

1664 Cox Street
Columbia, SC 29204
803-730-9816

http://www.renaissancedesignssc.com/