High-end Hanover pen company draws up contractor plan to

Turning Level Pen Co. not too long ago introduced a contractor product to boost manufacturing of its tailor made, handmade pens. (Photographs courtesy of Turning Issue Pen Co.)

Confronted with the problem of how to boost output even though sustaining the handmade nature of its personalized pens, a Hanover-based mostly company has observed a way to deliver far more palms into the mix.

Turning Level Pen Co. has shifted to a contractor product, making use of several remote, common contributors for pen production with plans to add all-around five a lot more.

It marks a big change for founder and owner Michael Kahwajy-Hyland, who had beforehand made all of the company’s pens himself.

Kahwajy-Hyland, who has transitioned into a designer job at his corporation, claimed the new distant production product gains both sides of the output equation: it eases the company’s recruitment attempts and gives a lot more flexibility and a expert framework for the pen makers.

“My enthusiasm shifted from the craft itself to constructing the enterprise all-around it. That is in which I noticed the chance to do the job with many others in my craft and fill each other’s gaps via collaboration,” reported Kahwajy-Hyland, who will continue to occasionally craft pens.

The company’s pens currently start off at all around $600 and can value upwards of 5 figures. The business makes custom pieces and also compact limited-version operates of various designs.

In addition to person purchasers, Turning Place has company clientele, who buy numerous pens as consumer appreciation items or other makes use of. Turning Place began to consider on company purchasers in 2018 and designs to grow that aspect of its organization.

“We’re undertaking much more and a lot more bigger initiatives. When I say larger sized I suggest 20 to 50 pens. We have a lot of company clients coming to us considering that we began speaking how these pieces are some of the greatest strategic items a company can use,” he said.

After Turning Level receives a customer’s get, Kahwajy-Hyland results in a design for the pen with the customer’s input. Then the job is manufactured available to a contractor who has the know-how and tools to total the the vast majority of the job. The contractor can then select to take the project.

Turning Place Pen Co. founder Michael Kahwajy-Hyland has transitioned into a designer purpose.

Contractors send their completed pens to the enterprise, where last touches are built, the pens go by quality command, and then get shipped to prospects.

Contractors are compensated for every task. Kahwajy-Hyland declined to elaborate additional on fees.

“These craftspeople usually have recognized life and routines exterior of the craft, so running on a task/deal foundation gives them independence and versatility while still benefiting from doing work with us,” he reported.

Turning Point has loaded much more orders in the time given that it introduced the contractor design in comparison to the very first 50 percent of very last yr, Kahwajy-Hyland claimed. He declined to offer precise creation figures.

The contractor design was formally launched in mid-May, after staying made during the pandemic yrs. In addition to Kahwajy-Hyland, the company has a person other complete-time employee — an functions head based mostly in California.

“Through 2020 and 2021, the pandemic and recession and other things, I figured out so much about small business and so a great deal about all the things else that it encouraged me to develop the organization,” Kahwajy-Hyland stated. He established the business in late 2017 and runs it from his Hanover residence.

Kahwajy-Hyland mentioned just one of his beloved creations so much is the pen he built in 2019 for Kehinde Wiley, the artist powering the Rumors of War statue on display screen at the Virginia Museum of High-quality Arts.

The pen took four months to total. It functions soil and other products from community historic websites and imported African horse hair amid other capabilities.

“I personally went to all of the websites: Lumpkin’s Jail, Leigh Road Armory and the (J.E.B Stuart) statue and gathered soil and brick and grime from these web pages, dried it and suspended it in a apparent resin (in the pen’s viewing window),” he explained. ‘That piece is the most inspiring piece I’ve performed so much. The wide amount of money of meaning it has excites me to this working day.”

The business intends to open up a brick-and-mortar retail store in the long run, nevertheless Kahwajy-Hyland declined to share facts of these plans.