Chinaberry’s winning combination: soft on the outside, savvy on the inside

By Reported Donna Loyle

In 2000, the company’s sales reached $8.9 million, up 24 percent from the previous year. And this year, Chinaberry is projecting sales of $10.5 million, for an 18-percent growth rate.

Today, the company employs 50 people and has warehouse space spanning 22,000 square feet. It mails 3.6 million catalogs a year, or 200,000 drops per month for the Chinaberry catalog and 100,000 per month for Isabella. Moreover, company executives are in the throes of a direct public offering in which customers, employees and other investors can buy stock in the company. But more about that in a minute.