ICYMI: Bethwood Small Business Spotlight: Leathersmith CT, LLC

Editor’s note: This article was originally published earlier this week on Patch. We’re republishing it here in case you missed it:

By WENDY ANN MITCHELL (Patch Staff)

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

Business: Leathersmith CT, LLC (Leathersmith)
Owners: Jordan Stark
Website: www.leathersmithct.com
Address: 254 Carrington Road, Bethany

How did you come up with the name?

I always liked the name Aerosmith (yes, the band). To me, a “smith” meant you were a maker of something. So I said to myself that I am going to call my leather repair company Leathersmith.

Why choose that location?

When we moved up here from NYC, Leathersmith was an existing business. We bought an old historic home with property on both sides of the street. One side had the house and the other a big beautiful barn. As we learned the history of the property we understood that the big barn was once a blacksmith shop, then a stone carving shop, and now it is a leather shop. Perfect match!

Briefly, what business are you in?

Leathersmith is a leather and vinyl repair, restoration and reupholstery shop. We work on furniture, cars, boats and even a bit of horse tack.

What’s the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

Expanding from a family run business to one that has employees. It was exciting but we had to learn to run a business besides just complete our daily jobs.

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?

Yes. In 2009, with the recession, it was hard to stay afloat. Many upholstery shops went under but since we owned the building we had a small safety net, which helped us to get through.

What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?

There isn’t just one for us. We are so proud that we have been growing consistently and that our jobs have been getting larger each year.

What’s the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?

Partial reupholstery. We are able to replace sections of leather, since we have the ability to custom color our leather. This sets us apart from other shops and provides a cost savings for our customers.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

As I had been told almost all my life, I have an ability to stay calm in most situations. I discuss the issues with the customers with patience and diplomacy.

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?

We have been involved with the local Bethany community in a variety of ways. We donate, not only financially, but our time with different civic organizations and locals around Bethany. As we are still as small company, we do this outside the company as well as through Leathersmith.

Would you like to see your small business showcased in this series? Email wendy.mitchell@ patch.com.