FeaturedBiz Inteviews CustomMade CEO and Co-Founder Mike Salguero

Check out the December 16, 2010, interview with CustomMade CEO and Co-Founder Mike Salguero in the U.S. companies section of FeaturedBiz.com.

Some of the topics covered are:

The acquisition of the CustomMade.com website and domain name

What buyers and artisans are saying about their CustomMade experience

What are some of the most popular custom made items

His partnership with CustomMade CFO and Co-Founder Seth Rosen

Future plans for CustomMade

Making it Easier to Get Things Custom Made: an Interview with Michael Salguero, CEO and Co-founder of CustomMade.com

CustomMade.com brings together buyers and makers of custom made products in one convenient online marketplace. The site provides access to thousands of artisans, woodworkers and custom makers from around the world. Since Mike Salguero and Seth Rosen purchased CustomMade in 2009, they have been revolutionizing the way custom products are bought and sold.

Hi, Michael! So, how did you come to acquire CustomMade and what exactly did you acquire?

My co-founder Seth was looking for a custom coffee table, but quickly learned he had no place to go to find all things custom. After some internet browsing, he found CustomMade.com, the Internet’s largest online platform for finding custom wood furniture.  I reached out to the seller in the summer of 2008, and by January 2009, we had purchased CustomMade.com.

At the time, the site had about 325 of the best woodworkers in the country.

What attracted you to the business?

Really for me it came down to the domain name, the artisans on the site, and the mission, connecting people to custom goods of all different kinds.

What are the buyers saying about their experience with the site?

Buyers love being able to choose their materials, their maker, their story.

If I told you that you could buy a custom piece of furniture, pottery, or metalwork for the same price or a small premium to a high end store, but that you would be able to have a say in the process and that you would know the maker, wouldn’t you try it out?

We are making custom accessible to all consumers, but are doing so in a way that allows the consumer to make the choice of maker.

What are the artisans/custom makers saying?

Many of our makers have never had an Internet presence before. Our platform allows them to be connected to a global audience for a comparatively small fee.

What are some of the most popular custom made products?

Right now, the most popular custom made products on our site seem to be those made from reclaimed or recycled wood.

How important was it to have the “CustomMade.com” domain name?

We love it. We are very lucky to have been able to acquire such a premium domain name.

Do you feel you need to educate consumers on the value of custom made products?

Absolutely. Custom has for too long been considered too expensive for anyone to afford. That is just not true anymore. At the end of the day, we are out to change the way that people shop… that is a lofty goal that requires a great deal of education and consumer hand-holding.

You met Seth Rosen, the co-founder and CFO of the company, in college. What can you tell us about that relationship?

Seth and I met while working full-time and going to college. In addition to CustomMade, we started a breakfast group in Boston called The Junto Group.  People always ask whether I thought it was a good idea to go into business with my best friend. Right now, I consider it to be the best decision we made.

Seth and I are like Yin and Yang, our styles of managing, living, and work are totally different, but we do hold some things sacred:  honor, family, and a dogged determination to be the best we can be.  Because of this determination, we have the kind of relationship where I can tell him when he is messing up, and I rely on him to tell me the same thing.

How have your partnerships with other companies benefited your business?

Yes, we have a few great partners in this industry. The two relationships that have taught us the most are our relationships with Rockler Woodworking and Hardware (Rockler.com), and FineWoodworking (FineWoodworking.com). These two partners have helped us guide our product towards the needs of the maker community.

What’s on the horizon for CustomMade.com?

In the next year, we are going to be moving into all things CustomMade. We have already seen makers in Custom Knives, Custom Dresses, Custom Speakers, and a few other categories who are interested in the exposure we can offer.  In 2011, we will more aggressively reach out to these people to let them know about our services!

The U.S. section of FeaturedBiz.com features interviews and articles about leading U.S. companies and their executives.

Congratulations, Mike!