Boutique mill-work shop, Piddi Design which specialized in custom builds for trade shows pivoted successfully into the retail space to become more successful in the post-pandemic scenario. At a time when many mill-work shops in Canada closed due to a lack of business, the family firm hired more staff and invested in further growth to not just survive, but flourish and expand. The firm has to its credit long-standing partnerships with the world's largest brands in both fashion and automobile manufacturing.
With everything going digital after the pandemic, there was a significant impact on the trade show industry. Most firms that specialized in the building of exhibits for trade shows folded. But Piddi Design, which was established in 1959 by Frederick Piddington, instead used this as an opportunity to hire talented staff that was left jobless due to the pandemic. The pre-pandemic team consisted of only 20 members but the current number exceeds 90.
Said Caitlin Lee, Creative Director who now runs the firm with her husband, Thomas Lee, “My grandfather started this business in 1956 when he emigrated to Canada from England and he brought me into the firm from the age of 5 years old. Though I moved away for a short time, I returned to build on our family heritage. He always paid great attention to quality and this is why we have had longstanding relationships with some of the world's biggest brands. Our association with one of the world's top five automobile manufacturers lasted for 56 years till they stopped taking part in trade shows. Covid had a significant impact on the trade show sector. We decided that the answer was to innovate and scale up the resources we had to strengthen our presence in the luxury retail sector. Today, 90% of our clients belong to the luxury retail sector.”
According to Caitlin, what makes Piddi Design different from other players in the sector is the firm’s attention to detail, level of customization, and ability to innovate in order to cater to the requirements of the customer. The most notable feature of the company though is its employee-centric work culture. While most companies specializing in trade show builds used to provide employment only on a seasonal basis, Piddi Design always focused on keeping its employees happy by providing them with year-round employment. The company’s long-term plans are to achieve 100 million in sales in six years and to possibly double its employee strength to 200, thus strengthening its position as a leader in the industry.
Piddi Design gave a lot of attention to sustainability long before there was awareness of climate change. With regard to materials for projects, there is a lot of focus on wasting as little as possible and on recycling. Ethical sourcing is important as well, with all materials for project builds being sourced within a 300 kilometer radius. Measures like the use of timed lights and low water consumption further reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Concluded Caitlin, “The post-pandemic years witnessed a shift in the retail scenario with many older companies pulling out of the retail space and newer brands which were previously only available in the online space moving into brick and mortar stores. To meet the requirements of such customers, we have had to constantly innovate and we pivoted from just trade shows to luxury, fragrance, beauty, and even the clothing sectors. In the last five years, we've doubled our sales and we're on track to do about 35 percent more this year.”
Media Contact
Name: Caitlin Lee
Email: Info@piddi.com
Published by: Omar Hamdi