Profile of Success — What’s Good For the Goose …

BIGGEST MISTAKE AND RECOVERY: Gooseberry Patch ended up with too much space through no fault of its own. In 1999, the business was spread out into two buildings, plus an off-site storage facility. The creative staff had grown from five to 18. To consolidate operations and accommodate the growing staff, the company renovated a 51,000-sq.-ft. building. Gooseberry Patch moved into the new facility on June 30, 2001, and then Sept. 11 occurred just a few months later, and sales plunged. Over the past six years, however, Plotnick-Snay and other company officials initiated some changes that helped Gooseberry Patch grow, though not at the rate that the company initially planned for the space. The productivity savings have helped offset the additional costs of the space.