“We are committed to quality,” President and CEO John Abens Jr. (pictured) says.

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Fibre-Craft Materials

“We are committed to quality,” Abens declares. “Since our company’s inception, we have never lost sight of the fact that the customers’ satisfaction must be our utmost priority. We know creative activity fosters feel-good moments, self-expression and sense of accomplishment. Over the last five decades, our customers have come to expect our products to be the highest quality at the very best value. We live and breathe creativity, [and] our company culture is [centered] around it.”

Abens says his father, John C. Abens Sr., started the company in 1953, as a spinoff of Kirchen Bros., his uncle’s artificial flower business. Kirchen Bros., founded in 1919, manufactured wood fibre, which is flame-resistant rice paper used for making artificial flowers.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Fibre-Craft grew its lines to include component craft products. In the ‘80s, the company placed a stronger emphasis on such elements as design, graphics, publications and product development, and refocused its sales on chain stores and specialty retailers and distributors.

The burgeoning arts and crafts industry grew stronger, while other industries suffered with soaring inflation rates. Arts and crafts proved to be recession proof. The number of Americans discovering arts and crafts skyrocketed.

From then, the creative markets have evolved into an industry unlike any other, Fibre-Craft says. This has brought great value to the retail market that really can’t be measured in dollar and cents, the company notes.

For instance, “Last year, 42 million households gave handmade gifts, (according to the Craft & Hobby Association, a trade association), not to mention the immeasurable educational value that arts and crafts brings to schools, camps and groups,” Vice President of Marketing Donna Lichtenstein says.

According to Lichtenstein, there are many different benefits that arts and crafts bring, such as relaxation, reducing stress, sense of accomplishment, spending quality time with others, economy and value. All this leads to simple improvements in quality of life, from kids to elderly.

Fibre-Craft is set apart from its competitors by its focus on innovation and creativity. “Today, we are exploring totally new ways to produce, market and distribute our goods and services, bringing logistics and supply management to the forefront of business,” Abens says.

“To succeed in this fast-paced environment, both external circumstances and internal strategic decisions exert tremendous pressure on businesses to absorb new information, [analyze] the implications, redesign and move forward,” Abens remarks. “We must anticipate and become pro-active, and continually improve the things we do.”

Promoting Creativity
The largest shift Fibre-Craft has witnessed in the arts and crafts market is a growing interest in creative activities, Lichtenstein says. “It’s the hottest category of growth in the marketplace,” she says. “Parents are looking for ways to entertain their kids [and] get them away from videos and other things,” she says. “They’re looking for ways they can spend quality time with them.”

In addition, the company has seen a growth in arts and crafts products used in camps, Bible schools and after-school programs. “They’re looking for things that kids can do and walk away [from] and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment,” she says. “One of the things we see right now is the importance of arts and creativity in educational programs.

“Art is really something that helps round out a child’s education,” she continues. “The ability to create self expression and help communication [can prepare children] for more critical thinking [and] analysis of problems.

“We have instances where teachers have said children understand math and fractions because of their exposure to arts. They’re able to understand the dimensional aspect of it.”

“We really try to make the connection back to the community with our Kids’ Day TM events,” Lichtenstein says, explaining that during these events, children are brought from local schools to its facility.

During the day, “We provide education on how products are designed and brought to market,” Lichtenstein says, noting that children are given tours of the warehouse and see how its products are shipped. “They’re in awe when they see the scope of that.”

The children also participate in doing craft projects, and Fibre-Craft’s designers connect with the kids, learning about their style preferences and skill sets for different ages. “It’s amazing how proud the children are after they are finished,” she says. “We have been told it is the ‘best field trip ever.’

“[We] are also committed to connect with teachers,” Lichtenstein says, noting that the company has established a Creative Hands Advisory Team (CHAT) that meet with teachers monthly. In this partnership, the teachers help keep Fibre-Craft on course so its products support what is happening in the classroom. “We create products for parents which reinforce what is being taught in school to make learning fun,” she says.

All On Its Own
Fibre-Craft operates self-sufficiently as the company handles all facets in bringing a product to market in the most efficient manner possible, including design and product development. Fibre-Craft also employs designers, artists, engineers and sourcing pros. The company also has full capabilities, including a merchandising lab where it can create a true store environment before bringing a product to market. “Everything from start to finish is done here,” she says.  

Abens adds that the company also has offices overseas, where it works directly with foreign manufacturers and maintains long-time relationships with them. “We’ve been working with some factories [for] 30-plus years,” he says. “Now we’re dealing with the son and the father [in those companies].”

Another factor that has enabled Fibre-Craft’s success is its continued reinvestment in the company. In recent years, the company moved to a new facility that was part of a complete makeover of Fibre-Craft. According to Abens, the decision was part of a plan that allowed the company to keep pace with the markets.

“We came to a point where we could no longer manage facility configuration,” he recalls, noting that Fibre-Craft decided to reinvent itself as it moved to its new facility in Niles.

“Opportunities to build a facility with a vision toward our future seldom come along,” he admits, noting that its current facility epitomizes Fibre-Craft’s philosophy of harmonizing efficiency, creativity and state-of-the-art technology. “Offering superior flexibility for product distribution, it is designed for easy access and to accommodate high-volume shipments,” Abens says. “The efficiency of unloading/loading, warehousing and distribution are enhanced in every aspect.”

A Strong Future
Currently, Fibre-Craft is sold worldwide with distribution in UK (handling all of Europe), Canada, Mexico and Australia, and is exploring the possibilities of opening up to Chinese markets, Abens says. “China is the fastest growing economy in the world,” he says, noting that major retailers have already moved into its market.

He is confident that Fibre-Craft can move into that market as well. “When we’re talking about arts and crafts, it doesn’t matter where the country is,” he says. “It all comes down to its kids. Arts and Crafts provide the universal language that they all understand without any boundaries.”

In addition, Fibre-Craft is optimistic about the craft industry’s future, Lichtenstein says. “Creative expressions never go away,” she says. “It’s only the method that changes. The cavemen drew on caves, [and] we paint on walls.”