This company is ranked #142 on the 2015 Inc 5000 list!
Inc Magazine says this about them:
Makes children’s clothing sold at Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and 1,000 other retail locations worldwide.
Located in New York, NY, Andy & Evan Industries saw a 2,718% growth in 2014 and generated $3.3 M in revenue.
The company added approximately 6 jobs and currently has 8 employees.
Check out their website: andyandevan.com
“Failure is almost always a necessity in order to be become successful. It makes you stronger, smarter, and more aware of your surroundings.”
– Evan Hakalir (Partner/Co-Founder, Andy & Evan Industries Inc)
Evan Hakalir is Partner and Co-Founder of Andy & Evan Industries, Inc., a global leader in children’s apparel. Andy & Evan, rank #142, on the 2015 Inc. 5000 list, with a three-year revenue growth of a whopping 2,718 percent. Evan, along with his business partner, Andrew (Andy) Jonathan Perl, started the company in 2010. As like so many others, Evan was a casualty of the 2008 recession, which brought his finance career to an end.
Innovation and the desire to change the status quo, are just a couple of factors leading to the success of the Andy & EvanTM brand. Their clothing line is sold at Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and 1,000 other retail locations worldwide.
Evan believes free-thinking, in the workplace, is a key ingredient of the corporate culture. It allows for the open flow of ideas, and a sense of comfort. With the growth of Andy & EvanTM, also comes the responsibility to give back. GOOD+ Foundation is just one of the organization Evan’s company is affiliated with. This charity tries to break the cycle of family poverty through the power of donated goods and services.
Age: 36
Company Name: Andy & Evan Industries, Inc.
Title: Partner and Co-Founder
Website: www.AndyAndEvan.com
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Relationship: Married with child
As far as back as I can remember, I’ve always had a job. Before I was old enough to have a job, I always wanted one. I was first bitten by the entrepreneurial bug in 8th grade, as the head of the school carnival. I changed the revenue model for the carnival, nearly doubling the previous year’s revenue, which was used to subsidize our class trip. I became somewhat of a hero, and especially enjoyed the creative process, as well as, and negotiating with the vendors we hired. I remember the rush of adrenaline associated with creating something from nothing.
Why did you start your business(es)?
I was a product of the great recession of 2008. I worked in finance prior to apparel manufacturing. The product creation side of the world was a much needed change of pace.
What entrepreneur has most inspired you?
Steve Jobs and Mark Cuban have provided the greatest impact. I see Mr. Jobs as being a hard-nosed and stubborn, when it comes to product design and vision. Mr. Cuban is incredibly smart and pragmatic. He has hustled hard his entire career.
What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome thus far in business?
I resisted the urge to bring in outside equity partners. In the beginning, it wasn’t easy with respect to cash flow and order financing. We almost gave away half our company for a dime. It turns out, what doesn’t kill you, does in fact make you stronger. And the times we thought we would never make it on our own, we pushed through by moving forward no matter what it took.
What have you learned from failure?
Failure is almost always a necessity in order to be become successful. It makes you stronger, smarter, and more aware of your surroundings. I’m not saying it’s fun by any means, but the fear of going back to that place, will certainly scare you in the right direction.
How does your leadership style foster your company’s culture?
I like to think I have a democratic leadership style. Our company encourages everyone to speak freely and candidly, and participate in everyday decision-making. This is especially important since we work in a creative environment. The candor leads to better ideas and more creative solutions, because everyone is encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas.
What are your top 3 responsibilities as a leader?
What internal process do you use to guide your decision-making?
I like to sleep on everything. It’s amazing what kind of clarity a night of sleep can bring. Empathy, also, is one of the most important traits a leader can have. If you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you can make much more enlightened decisions. By being empathetic it’s easier to relate to the people impacted by those decisions, whether they’re partners, employees, customers or vendors.
How do you define success?
Being happy with what I have, is my key indicator of success.
Which book has inspired you?
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos)
What do you think is the coolest technology out there, and why?
I’m fascinated by 3-D printers. They are going to change the way many products are ultimately created, across the spectrum of industries.
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