Well, I think I'm back in the swing of things....fuzzy head from the sinus meds~
Where were we?...Oh yeah....Who are these folks? I got lots of funny replies to that question. My favorite was....these people were the owners of a dance school. Nope...not as far as I know anyway! They are Robert and LeDorna Eichenberg, the founders of Ellison.
I know this pix is a little dark, but I can't fly back and re-take the photo...not today anyway :)
Where were we?...Oh yeah....Who are these folks? I got lots of funny replies to that question. My favorite was....these people were the owners of a dance school. Nope...not as far as I know anyway! They are Robert and LeDorna Eichenberg, the founders of Ellison.
Robert and LeDorna Eichenberg founders of Ellison
While in Southern California, SewCalGal and I were fortunate enough to get a tour of Ellison's Headquarters. You may be more familiar with Sizzix, Ellison is the parent company of Sizzix.
I had goosebumps as I pulled up out front...no kidding. I get very excited when I'm passionate about something and I sure am passionate about Sizzix Cutting Machines and Dies. So much so in fact, that when the Vagabond arrived on my doorstep, I immediately shot a video using it and I had never done a video before. If you have not seen my entry into the video world...you can CLICK HERE to see my less than perfect video.
I enjoy seeing where the people I see at Quilt Market work and getting a glimpse into their world. We met with Linda Nitzen, Ellison's Sales & Marketing Quilting Manager. We had met in Houston so it was wonderful to see her again.
The only photos I could take were in the Lobby....so here are some fun shots of the Ellison Headquarters Lobby.
Why all the passion about the Sizzix? For me, it is all about quality and values. All of the Ellison dies are made by hand....yes...by hand....using high quality steal set into wood and a high density long lasting foam top. Keep in mind, I don't get paid to say any of these things and I certainly am not qualified to be a spokesperson for Ellison....but this girl knows what she likes and recognizes quality :)
Being an owner of all of the Sizzix Cutting Machines I can tell you that they all work equally as well and are very sturdy. I tell people they were built by "Tonka."* They machines don't tilt, flip or wobble. Even though they have been building these machines and dies since 1977 and are huge in the Education and Crafting communities, they are relatively new to the Quilting Community. Their dies cut paper, chipboard, tin, foam, felt, thin magnets, metallic foils AND fabric :) Something else that I really like is their warranties. The Big Shot and the Big Shot Pro have 3 year warranties and the Vagabond has a 1 year warranty.
I've had to deal with many companies customer service departments since I've been in business and I must say I've always been very pleased with the speed and service I've received from Ellison's customer service. The contact I've had with customer service has never been about a faulty die or machine. The contact was about a handle that was broken by the owner during a move and Sizzix replaced it for free...including the shipping, without a question asked. I have moved my Big Shot so many times that the little rubber feet that suctioned to the table fell off. (I have an older model and the feet have been changed on the newer models). I told Sizzix about what I had done and they replaced the feet immediately.
There was a time....way back when....when most all companies had this type of excellence in customer service. I'm sorry to say it is not the case in today's business world and that is why Ellison/Sizzix really stands out in my opinion. I guess it is easy to have excellent customer service when you have excellent products. (No...I'm not brown nosing either....I was and am not being bribed...no pre-release dies arrive at IHAN® Headquarters...just so ya know!)
The tour was so much fun. I was able to see where they shoot their videos and let me just say their video taping area is light years nicer than mine...LOL. I saw some artists and designers working on creations, a library of dies and all of the wonderful machines made by Ellison. I'm telling you I could have stayed all day long but I don't think my family would have appreciated that very much. Oh yes, and I was able to see some new products that will be debuted at the Fall Quilt Market this year. I gave them my word that I would keep everything I saw a secret so don't even think to try to bribe me with cars, boats or vacation homes....my lips are sealed!! What I can say is that I think folks will really like what is coming out in the Fall.
To celebrate my trip to the Ellison Headquarters, IHAN® is having a Sale on all Sizzix Die Cutting Machines. Test one for yourself....if you purchase it from IHAN and are not 100% satisfied....I'll pay for your return shipping and give you a refund too. That is how confident I am about their Die Cutting Machines.....and I've never had one returned...so it is easy for me to make the offer...LOL :)
*Tonka...when I was growing up people would refer to something that was well made as being built by "Tonka" as in Tonka toys.
Smiles,
Kelly
