Website: http://www.damhorsttoys.com/

Description: Damhorst Toys & Puzzles is a second generation family owned and operated manufacturing business that makes personalized wooden children’s toys in Hermann, Missouri.  Kris from damhorsttoys.com states, “Our business was started by our parents in 1971 in a basement workshop.  We have been fortunate enough to grow throughout the years and develop a loyal customer base that has also moved on to second generation buying and gift giving.  We designed and made the first Name Puzzle Stool in 1971, which today still remains as our best seller.  Our design and materials have remained the same for the past 45 years.”

Technologies Used: Kris continued, “We had decided at the beginning of 2016 that we would move to a fully custom website, and with the help of Kyle Rodeck at Merchant Corner, we switched to the LexiConn platform and ShopSite templates.  The transition, service, and final product could not have been better.  I have been blown away by the support we have received from LexiConn and the flexibility and stability of ShopSite.  We did not make this decision lightly and could not have been happier with the outcome.  We are currently using the LexiConn Shipping Module, custom ShopSite templates from Merchant Corner, Constant Contact for email campaigns, and AddThis.com for customer website interactions.  We also took advantage of the 30% federal tax credit and USDA grant to install solar panels on our workshop.”

Advice / Tips: Kris finished, “Keep in close touch with all/recent customer comments, no matter how minor the issues may be.  Have a live person that customers can talk to on the phone with questions or issues.  Review every expense – Quickbooks Pro has some incredible custom reports that can be created.  Have some presence on Amazon, it’s the future.  Bad days are usually followed by good days.”