Made in NYC Company of the Month - April 2011

Mike + Ally

Luxury Bathroom Accessories Win Fans Around the World

Mike + Ally, Inc. specialize in manufacturing luxury bathroom accessories. Bill Rosson, co-operator of the company, confesses that times are tough for small businesses today, especially for companies located in New York. In general, rental costs are making a dent in the growth of these small businesses—Mike + Ally had to move from their Madison Avenue space of fifteen years in Manhattan to their current studio space in Long Island City. As a result of this relocation, they have been able to benefit from the Relocation and Employment Assistance (REAP) and Commercial Expansion Program (CEP), two initiatives the city is currently offering to assist small businesses in New York. Rosson footnoted that the moving process was not that difficult since they had no heavy machinery to relocate between sites of production.

Despite the adjustments Mike + Ally have had to make as a result of the recession, business is in high demand, domestically and internationally. They currently hold accounts with major department stores, such as Bloomingdales, since they are one of the few companies in the U.S. that hand manufactures and designs each individual product they sell. Mike + Ally products are purchased by designers located in southeast and southwest of the country. The company’s export business has gone up exponentially in recent years as well. In fact, international sales contribute to the majority of their profit these days. Consequently, Mike + Ally currently do business in countries located in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East—during the interview their twelve employees were in the middle of designing tissue boxes with pink and purple semi-precious jewels and metals for the princess in Abu Dhabi. Mike + Ally added these international clients to their general clientele when they ran a booth in the annual Maison & Objet tradeshow in Paris (they participate in tradeshows held in the Jacob Javits Center more regularly).
Rosson is in charge of the sales aspect of the business; Ally contributes her genius, attention grabbing artisan skills. She originally earned her BFA in Washington University in St. Louis, where she sharpened her technique in abstract design. At first, she worked for Cartier Jewelers as a model-maker for prominent collections. In 1991, Ally launched her own collection and began designing luxury bathroom accessories for vanity countertops. Success was immediate—the intricate and highly detailed craftsmanship of her products contribute to the unique character of her production line.

The rich ornamental design and production process is quite demanding. The general process involves plaster and iron casting, electroplating, engraving, painting, stone setting, cutting out of prints, and assemblage of beaded tassels. A typical order can generally end up taking two to three months before the design process is complete and ready for shipping. The single step of painting one tissue box can take up to four days to complete since 24 hours is needed for one side to finish drying before an employee can proceed to paint the other side. The arduous nature of the work is worth the time, effort, and high degree of concentration, however, since Mike + Ally are currently at the top of their game.

They prefer to keep their production in their modest sized studio in Long Island City. Rosson explained that working mostly with local products allows him and Ally to maintain efficient oversight of production because it enables them to respond quickly to changes in an order. If an order requires a specific number of wastebaskets in one color, a change in design can be achieved immediately if the wastebaskets need to suddenly be painted in another color, or have a detailed design printed instead. This flexibility in manufacturing allows the client to make custom demands from Mike + Ally and, thus, guarantees maximum satisfaction.

Check out Mike + Ally, Inc. on Made in NYC and visit the Mike + Ally website.