Today we’d like to introduce you to Maia Jimenez.
Maia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Prior to starting Vima in 2006, I worked in the film industry as an assistant and coordinator. As much a loved production, I always knew I ultimately wanted to play a role in our family business, The Medve Group, a real estate investment company that owns and manages several apartment complexes.
Between film projects, I worked in one of the leasing offices, which is where I learned that they were starting to import fixtures for their renovation projects. They were using a trading company with little knowledge and experience of the apartment industry and they were not set-up in an efficient way to provide the level of service that we needed. I offered to help coordinate the orders and deliveries, and that summer I went on a buying trip with my father. It was during that trip that we decided to sever ties with the trading company and set-up our own company, Vima Decor.
Learning a whole new industry and trying to set-up a system while so many balls were already in motion was no easy task. The first 2 years, I basically worked day and night to set-up an item numbering system, and system for placing orders, and researching to expand our product line. There were so many small details, and every detail mattered. Once the Medve Group renovations were underway, we decided to see if there was interest with other property owners, management companies. With a limited budget, I designed a brochure and catalog myself and started going to industry and networking events in the hopes of developing relationships with people that might give Vima a chance.
I hired one employee and as a 2-man team we slowly started gaining more customers and building the brand and reputation, and eventually setting-up a warehouse, which allowed us to better service our customers. Through our trade shows and marketing events, now most of our customers actually come to us. Over the past 5 years, we have grown exponentially with a solid client base and gaining new accounts every day. I also have an amazing loyal team that keeps me inspired and working toward the next level of growth.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have had some obstacles to get to where we are today. One of the biggest obstacles that the original business plan was to only sell our products by “full container” and not carry inventory. I learned quickly that it is extremely hard to sell that way because most companies are not able to purchase that way, especially from a new company without a proven track record. As a new company, it was a challenge to get established companies to even make a small purchase. Setting-up the warehouse was a game-changer. Having inventory on-hand allowed us to service a much wider client base. I will be forever grateful for those first few customers that took a chance on Vima.
Since then, most of our “struggles” have been due to growing pains. In 2013, our sales increased over 500%. With inventory flying off the shelves, we kept running out of our most popular items. Items that previously only sold a handful per month we were selling over 1000, and the new inventory could not arrive fast enough. My excitement of the all the new clients was matched with the stress of jumping through hoops to keep our new customers happy during that intense period of growing pains. Luckily, I was able to catch my breath and hire some great people to work with me on the next phases of growth.
Please tell us about Vima Decor.
Vima Decor is a volume supply company that specializes in fixtures and finishes for multi-family renovations and new construction. We strive to provide higher-end products for lower costs than our competitors, allowing our customers to fit more upgrades into their budgets. We keep our product line lean with carefully selected items to keep our costs down. We are known for our innovative products that are solutions for easy assembly, installation and maintenance.
As a company, I am most proud of the personal level of service we offer our customers and the relationships we have developed with them. We make it a point to learn how each company we work with operates so we can better serve them.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memories from childhood are the summers I spent in Lake Arrowhead, California at a figure skating training center where I made friends from all over the world. Most of my other favorite memories are from our many family vacations.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1411 W Walnut Hill Lane
Irving, TX 75038 - Website: vimadecor.com
- Phone: 972-827-2025
- Email: maia@vimadecor.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vimadecorusa/
Image Credit:
John Pesina
Debra Gulbas
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