Tender Heart Treasures creates 90 percent of its own products—and considers this one of its competitive advantages.

By Alicia Orr Suman

While most of the products are designed in-house, they generally are produced to the company’s specifications in overseas locations, such as China. Tender Heart Treasures is fortunate to have established good relationships and credibility with its manufacturers, says Watanabe-Gerdes. “Due to the competitive nature of the market, we’ve found that being a domestic importer works to our advantage,” she explains. It helps the company keep its costs in check, and consequently, its prices low.