How honored we are to have the Detroit Institute of Arts, also known as DIA, carry Revy Fair Trade products. This Motor City museum gift shop will feature our high-quality bags, belts and wallets made from recycled tire rubber.
At the New York Now show in February, the DIA director of retail operations told us he had been searching for items to feature at the Detroit Auto Show (which has since been postponed to 2021). Our Revved Up Rubber Accessories line certainly fits that bill.
After delays in manufacturing and shipping due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions in El Salvador, as well as in the US, the order for DIA arrived with days to spare before the November 1st deadline for delivery. Weighing the costs of shipping from Cleveland to Detroit, and whether it would arrive on time, versus just driving the order up there myself, my choice was clear:
Road trip!
After wrestling the four large boxes of more than 100 items from my 7th floor apartment to my car, I punched in the address for the Detroit Institute of Arts into my GPS and hit the road. Less than three hours later I was parked outside this grand building. I saved our company hundreds of dollars in shipping fees, had a one-day adventure, and had the honor of delivering this important order face-to-face -- something companies are rarely able to do in 2020.
After a quick COVID screening outside (in the white tent in the picture at the top), two women from DIA came out and helped me get the four large boxes inside the museum (see below).
All told, this is a wonderful success story for Revy Fair Trade. We've made new connections, provided much-needed income for our artisans in El Salvador, and have expanded our customer base. If you happen to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts, or attend the Detroit Auto Show next year, make sure to look for our Revved Up Rubber Accessories. We think Detroit and Revy are a perfect pair.