Case Study: Building a Connection with "Rustic Charm Co." – A Southern U.S. Home Decor Brand
Buyer Profile
Rustic Charm Co.” is a family-owned home decor brand based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, with a strong presence in the southeastern United States. Since 2012, they’ve sold farmhouse-inspired goods through their online shop and 14 retail outlets, appealing to homeowners and small businesses who love cozy, durable designs with a touch of Southern flair.
Product Purchased
3,000 units of PVC placemats (rectangular, 45 cm x 32 cm, matte finish in weathered gray and sage green) and 2,400 units of woven placemats (jute and cotton blend, round, 39 cm diameter, in natural tan and faded blue).
Collaboration Details
In January 2025, we got a call from Tara Hensley, the product buyer for “Rustic Charm Co.,” who’d been tipped off about our woven placemats by a vendor at a Dallas trade show. Tara was gearing up for their fall 2025 “Harvest Home” collection and needed placemats that could handle the wear of Southern suppers—hot skillets, sweet tea spills—while echoing their rustic-chic vibe. She was curious about our PVC and woven lines and asked for a deep dive into what we could offer.
We set up a FaceTime chat on January 15, 2025. Tara wanted placemats that were tough yet charming, able to take heat (up to 80°C) and clean up fast, with colors that nodded to barnwood and fields. Our matte PVC placemats fit her practical side, while the jute-cotton woven mats hit her style sweet spot. On January 17, we shipped a sample haul via UPS—eight PVC placemats (four weathered gray, four sage green) and eight woven placemats (four tan, four faded blue)—tucked in with a rundown on PVC’s stain-proofing and the woven mats’ hand-loomed sturdiness.
Tara’s team took the samples to their Nashville test space, putting them through a month of mock dinners. They piled on cast-iron pans, smeared barbecue sauce, and scrubbed with wet rags. On February 14, Tara rang us up: the PVC mats were “tough as nails” and kept their muted glow, but she asked for a woodgrain texture to amp up the rustic feel. The woven mats nailed the farmhouse look and held tight, though she wanted a tighter weave to dodge snags. We etched a faint woodgrain into the PVC with a custom roller and restrung our looms for a denser jute-cotton weave, sending new samples on February 20. Tara texted her approval on February 26, saying they “felt like home.”
On March 1, “Rustic Charm Co.” locked in their order: 3,000 PVC placemats (1,700 weathered gray, 1,300 sage green) and 2,400 woven placemats (1,400 tan, 1,000 faded blue), aiming for a June 2025 drop to beat the fall rush. We kicked off production March 5. The PVC mats were molded in batches of 750, with the woodgrain texture pressed at 125°C for a crisp imprint; each run sat for 10 hours to cure the matte coat. The woven mats took shape on six looms, with artisans hand-tying the denser weave—dropping output to 200 daily but nailing the rugged finish Tara craved.
By May 20, we were done. Tara got a Dropbox folder with pics: PVC mats stacked like weathered planks and woven mats coiled in hemp twine. We shipped via sea freight to Charleston, South Carolina, on May 23, landing June 8 after we handled U.S. customs with a material spec sheet and export tags. Tara’s crew checked 300 units on June 10, spotting five woven mats with loose edges, which we replaced by June 17 via FedEx.
The placemats hit “Rustic Charm Co.” shelves and site in July 2025. Tara emailed that the PVC mats were a smash with BBQ joints buying in bulk, while the woven mats sold out in tan at their Georgia stores, with customers loving the “porch-ready” vibe. Their fall lookbook showed the mats under mason jars and cornbread, giving us a nod.
Outcome
Tara’s already brainstorming a holiday woven mat with red accents for 2025. Their buzz also hooked us a lead with a Texas ranch retailer, keen on our PVC line.
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