Duluth — Loll Designs is growing aggressively under the leadership of new president Eric Swanson.
When Landscape Forms Inc. acquired the Duluth manufacturer of outdoor weatherproof furniture made from recycled materials in December 2020, the company struggled to meet demand for its products, and customers often We were facing lead times of up to 12 weeks.
According to Swanson, his team at Loll recently cut lead times to a more manageable three weeks.
He explained that Lol’s orders spiked when the pandemic hit.
“As more people work from home, demand for household items has skyrocketed significantly,” says Swanson.
Contribution / Forms Inc. / Sarah Pierce
Swanson has been with Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Landscape Forms for 20 years, most recently serving as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer, where he will continue to lead Roll.
He said Loll is the company’s fastest-growing division, currently accounting for less than half of Landscape Forms’ $185 million in annual revenue, but will overtake other parts of the business in the near future. I expect to
Swanson said Loll isn’t growing at the exponential pace it was at when the pandemic started, but its business continues to grow, as do its Duluth employees. When Landscape Forms acquired Loll, he had 82 employees. That number has now grown by more than 40 percent to bring him to 116, and the company continues to hire, Swanson said.
Landscape Forms is also investing in new equipment, including additional CNC cutting machines to expedite production. Workflows at the Duluth plant have also improved, Swanson said.
Despite the change in ownership, Swanson hopes Loll will remain firmly rooted in Duluth.
“We feel that having geographic diversity is a strength of our business. Part of the Loll brand is inspired by our hometown of Duluth. Plus, we have a quality workforce here that shares the same core values as Landscape Forms. It fits our business model and makes sense,” he said. I was.
Contribution / Loll Designs
Loll also made an impact on buyers. Landscape Forms has adopted a ‘he is 1% for the planet’ approach of donating a portion of all sales to the organization. Make the world a better and more sustainable place.
Loll has contributed to Chester Bowl, Hartley Nature Center and Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank. IT employees also volunteer to support local initiatives such as Clean Yer Creek, blood donations, campus gardening and composting.
The business was recently recertified by Cradle to Cradle, a third-party organization that recognizes businesses that produce goods in a safe, sustainable and responsible manner.
A native of Chicago, Swanson has lived in Chanhassen since 1999 with his Minnesota-born wife. The couple are currently looking to purchase a home in Duluth. In the meantime, however, Swanson spent his work week up north and returned to visit his family on the weekends, and he said they hope to move soon.