Two successful ventures join forces to bring you a new showcase and retail space in Glenwood.We chat to Ryan Rollins of Rollin Vintage, and Lance Surgeson and Paul Rabinowitz of Arkivio about their new joint venture and why they love their new business home.
How did your business start?
We joined forces, two businesses, to create a showcase and retail space. Rollin Vintage is a jewellery brand which focuses on artistic design and manufacture (repurposing vintage cutlery) determined to be pioneers in the jewellery field and inspire others to become entrepreneurs. Arkivio is a partnership between two old school friends with a mutual passion for design and local manufacture, creating small batches of premium handmade goods which mix craft techniques with new technologies. Arkivio’s vision is to build a sustainable company which positively affects the surrounding community.
Why did you choose this area to set up shop?
We were attracted to this corner of Glenwood as it’s an up-and-coming hub of creative activity with loads of young local talent making this their area of choice for new business start-ups.
How did you find your premises?
We were lucky. We browsed through Gumtree looking for the most suitable space, and 2 Bexmore Place offered us a great location at a reasonable cost.
Why are the premises ideally suited to your business?
The premises offered a perfect mix of manufacturing and retail space, enabling us to provide an authentic experience for our customers, allowing them to see the whole process from design to manufacturing to the finished product in our retail space.
Who are your neighbours?
Apart from each other, we have a varied mix from Tyson Properties to Coffee Tree cafe and The Green Door shared workspace.
What are the shop rental/sales prices like in this area?
Our shop rentals are great value for money, as we believe the area is well looked after by both the municipality and local business owners who have taken the time and effort to improve the surrounds.
What is your shop footprint?
Too early to say, as so far we’ve only hosted our clients on an invitation-only basis, but now with the opening of our brand-new showroom space we’re hoping we’ll have great foot traffic.
Do you have any expansion plans?
At this point we’re not looking to expand the physical location, but rather to expand our presence online and to stock other retail outlets in different locations.
Do you operate online as well?
Yes, both of us have websites and offer online sales services.
What’s your most popular item?
At Rollin Vintage, it’s our Elephant Pendant made from a silver fork. And at Arkivio, the Glass Garden Succulent Vase.
Rollin Vintage
074 507 7558
Arkivio
082 840 7143
