With the recent purchase of Avia Sport Composites, Goodwinds has been ramping up our packing and cutting operations.  To that end, we have hired a few employees and we would like to introduce them to you over the next couple of weeks.  Today, please welcome John and Derrick:

This is John.  John comes to us twice a week while he works on his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Western Washington University.  He mostly helps us cut carbon and move things around, but it’s sure nice knowing that there is a computer expert in the room.

This is Derrick.  Derrick technically has a full-time job across the parking lot at a screenprinting company, but he likes us better, so he comes over to help out when he can.  He’s been a great help cutting carbon and keeping us entertained with riddles.

We are fortunate at Goodwinds to have some of the best employees in the world.

Who are we?  Well, if the “about us” page of our site didn’t give you enough information, then here you go:

My brother, Leland, and I purchased Goodwinds (with a little help from our parents) in 2008.  I was still working at the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce for a time, and my brother and dad got the business moved up to Mount Vernon from Seattle.  You see, Goodwinds is a spinoff from Goodwinds Kite Store, owned by Kathy Goodwinds (great person and a great kitemaker).  She and her son, Todd, ran a small parts business out of a back room of her retail shop.  Originally, they had ordered all sorts of parts and pieces for making kites, and quickly found out that a kitemaking “general store” was just what the industry needed.  They expanded to include lots of different manufacturers’ pieces and lots of carbon and fiberglass, but Todd eventually wanted to move on and Kathy wanted to get back to her roots in the kite store business, which is now called Gasworks Park Kite Store.

Leland and Buster, Greatest Dog Ever

We saw quickly, through our connections in the kite business (Leland and I grew up in Long Beach, Washington, and our mom is the Chair of the Washington State International Kite Festival) that this would be a great business to own and build upon, and my brother was looking for a way to build his business acumen, having recently graduated from Central Washington University.

The first big change was to a bigger warehouse space – and then, within six months, we moved again, to an even bigger space!  We have expanded our stock to be able to supply LARP merchants and players, hobby stores, various industrial applications, luthiers, and kiters.  We source carbon and fiberglass directly from American manufacturers and have found that our ability to buy these materials in quantity and inexpensively means that our customers get great deals.

I had a baby boy in November of 2008 and made the decision to move from my full-time job to a more flexible (if not less time) position as a partner in Goodwinds in early 2009.  We have been working hard ever since, trying to even out inventory, make connections in the various industries we serve, and have a little fun at the same time.

Charles, Amelia, and Tony in August, 2009

In addition to my family, I am an avid reader and an aspiring chef.  I try to find the time to run with my big dog, Buster, but most of my days are spent enjoying my family and bringing up baby Charles.  My husband, a CPA, is also a partner in Goodwinds and guides me through the bookkeeping.  My mom and dad still work with us on Goodwinds all the time, my dad claiming that it is “the most fun he’s ever had in business.”  He’s a little bit crazy, though. 

Leland spends a lot of his time trying to make Goodwinds the best possible business.  He is quite customer-focused, but he also likes to sleep in.  In his off time, he rides his road bicycle long distances in the beautiful Skagit Valley, and watches Seahawks football or Mariners baseball, depending on the season.  It’s a good thing that our UPS man, Garrett, knows a lot about sports – he and Leland rehash football like nobody’s business.

Ahh, yes, and you’re likely to talk to our dad, Roger, or mom, Jane here on occasion.  They are pretty fun people and try to help out when they can.  Suprisingly, they are quite busy these days, even though they are retired from their former careers as hotel owner/operators in Long Beach.  They spend lots of time helping out at their local Humane Society, where they are both on the board of directors, and they have hobbies galore.  We sure enjoy it when they come to visit.