Suzie Chemel

Co-Owner

Foxy Originals

Toronto, Ontario

PPAI# 642034 UPIC: F642034

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Suzie Chemel (right) and Jennifer Ger are co-owners of Foxy Originals.

How did your company get its start?

Jennifer Ger and I have been designing and manufacturing jewelry and accessories for over 18 years. We met in college and began our jewelry business out of our dorm room. We’ve always had a knack for designing what people really want in terms of accessories. Between our ideas and my family’s background in the jewelry business it was a winning combination from the start.

After obtaining a formal business education, we began attending trade shows and selling to boutique buyers around the U.S. and Canada. Once we established our brand, Foxy Originals, as a leading accessories producer in North America, distributors started approaching us to do work for their big brand clients like Nike, Smashbox, Benefit and Mattel. That was when we began our love affair with the promotional products industry.

What led your company to enter the promotional products market?

We always associated the promotional products industry with pens and hats but then we started noticing that people wanted something more—and that’s where we could offer our strength. The kinds of things we produce, like jewelry and scarves, are keepsakes that people really use in their daily lives. They are personal and really resonate with people. Our designs are always on trend, which ensures that they are really wearable and work into an outfit. For example, we worked with a large drugstore chain to create necklaces for their staff. Two years later when I pop into their stores, the staff are often wearing the jewelry.

What's your favorite thing about being in the promotional products industry?

We love the variety that comes with working on a custom program for a client, as no two projects are alike. Whether it’s designing the perfect custom box for a bangle set or creating a beautiful scarf pattern out of the elements of a client’s corporate logo it’s so exciting to create gifts that are totally unique each time. We love how our clients tell us that when the delivery arrives with a client prototype they all rush to open it.

Why did you join PPAI?

We attended our first PPAI show in January and were amazed at the interest in our product offering and also at the quality of the clients that the distributors represent. To name drop just a little, we’ve already worked with Instagram and Facebook on custom projects through the distributors we’ve met through PPAI. Our booth was so crowded last time that next year we’re doubling our booth size.