Industria Innovations Inc. designs and develops home décor products for North American retailers and brands. Beyond being recognized in the industry as the brand behind their brand, our long-term clients have come to rely on us as their strategic private label partner. We started in home textiles, but guided by client needs and our ability to anticipate market trends, we extended our capabilities across many product categories. We see a future of limitless possibilities where our platform is the birthplace and launchpad of innovative products and solutions that continuously change and improve our ability to define and achieve success. We believe in a culture of continuous learning and innovation, where fulfilling our purpose comes from an inherent desire to make changes that positively impact the people around us.
Tell us about yourself?
My career began in finance, but after 9/11, I was challenged to rethink about my life goals and aspirations. I spent some time in India with my uncle, who owns a textile factory, and after learning about the business, I worked on opening up new markets in Canada and the United States. It took years before I received my first order from a major Canadian retailer, and that win fueled me to continue building relationships in the industry.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
My dream has always been to not only create a business but to scale an organization that is entrenched in purpose and meaning. In this pursuit, I’ve been deeply future-oriented. While there are many benefits to being this way, the learning for me has been through understanding the unintended consequences. As such, my advice to my younger self would be to take more time to celebrate wins by perpetually acknowledging the individual contributors who, without the successes, would be impossible.
What problem does your business solve?
We are a solutions provider for retailers and brands. We understand consumers and the retail market, and we provide a platform for our clients to express their challenges so that we can identify gaps and address them accordingly. Whether we are developing products, dealing with supply chain issues, or addressing environmental concerns, we aim to solve whatever problems or challenges our clients face by focusing on what matters to them.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
The inspiration for our business came from the awareness that every business has unique needs that widget or commodity-based companies don’t necessarily address. Our ability to curate bespoke offerings for our clients allows for differentiation across product categories, brands, and retailers by simplifying for our clients what would otherwise be a complicated and nuanced process.
What is your magic sauce?
Our secret is in our people. We invest a lot of time in understanding the unique abilities of our team members, and we strive to ensure that not only are they good at what they do, they love it. When our people show up as their best selves, our clients are happy, and our operations run smoothly.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Most of our North American business is in Canada, so we are looking to expand into the United States and Mexico. During this expansion, we intend to focus on innovation across all of our functional areas with a special emphasis on environmental sustainability. We believe that through research and development, we can help retailers and brands make conscious and responsible decisions around the types of products they are bringing to market.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The biggest challenge we have faced so far is being able to support our own growth. Our business is out of the ordinary when it comes to our approach, which makes traditional bank funding somewhat challenging. We are continuously putting efforts into striking the right balance between addressing our inherent excitement for accelerated growth and holding back the reins for a more slow and steady approach.
How can people get involved?
We are currently looking to align ourselves with the right strategic partners who share similar values and vision for managed and sustainable growth. Whether you’re interested in becoming one of our clients, suppliers, collaborators, or a team member, you can reach us at info@industriainnovations.com.