A family-owned craft retailer expands in Ankeny
Taylor Van Bruggen was looking for her next creative outlet.
She was a newlywed living in California, where her husband was attending graduate school. After completing their wedding album, Taylor said scrapbooking her days as an accountant and his late nights in the library seemed silly. So, she started making and mailing handmade cards in her signature bright, cheerful aesthetic. It was a great way to use her scrapbooking supplies to bring a smile to friends and family from afar.
“I felt like I had a purpose for making the projects,” Taylor said. “It’s gratifying because you’re finished with your project quickly, and it’s personal. You’re making something to cheer someone up or let them know you’re thinking of them.”
In 2005, Taylor started a blog to share her card designs. The emerging platform helped her establish a following and led to a few freelance opportunities in the papercraft industry. A growing community of online support gave Taylor the confidence to launch an online shop, Taylored Expressions, where she could sell her own designs.
“I think I had a million hits in the first year,” Taylor said. “People were coming to see what I was doing. Unbeknownst to me, by replying to comments, I was building relationships and trustworthiness.”
But their cramped Pasadena rental wasn’t the place where Taylor and Jon could expand their business–or their family. The couple both grew up in Northwest Iowa. When they started looking at real estate in 2009, they were impressed by the affordability of their home state. Kid-friendly spaces and great public schools were also on their wish list.
“We narrowed down that we wanted Central Iowa,” Taylor said. Jon’s family was already living in the area. “In choosing a community, we saw Ankeny as up-and-coming. It has certainly delivered.”
Growing With Community
The Taylored Expressions team has since flourished in Iowa. Jon joined the company as CEO in 2012. Since moving to Ankeny in 2009, the company has increased the physical footprint of their operations and now sell products throughout the world. Revenue is 25 times what it was when they were based in California.
Property tax rebates as part of Ankeny’s Urban Renewal Project helped Taylored Expressions bring retail and manufacturing under one roof in 2022. Stepping into the 19,200-square-foot flagship location is a bit like encountering the end of a rainbow. The brand’s Ankeny headquarters envelops customers in an uplifting, organized-by-color atmosphere as they shop for stamps, stencils, embellishments and accessories. They build community locally with in-store workshops and open crafting opportunities.
“We’ve felt supported by the city of Ankeny,” Taylor said. “The quality, the caliber of workers that are around here help us grow.”
Now, 40 employees handle most aspects of the supply chain from the stylish, custom space. They launch a new product every week, and have an on-site video studio where Taylor films demonstration videos for tens of thousands of online fans.
“Sharing joy sparked my journey into cardmaking, and that’s been our mission,” she said. “We try to resource our customers with tools and techniques and cool products to share joy with others.”
A Focus on Family
Mirroring the growth of the business, the Van Bruggen family has also expanded. The proximity between work and home means the entrepreneurial couple can shuttle three kids to sporting events and other appointments.
“Our son has a genetic condition that gives him physical and mental limitations,” Taylor said. “He participates in things like Miracle League, which is big here in Ankeny. We love that community.”
Family in town is also a huge bonus. Taylor’s parents relocated to Ankeny to be close to their grandkids. Taylor also convinced her sister, Whitney Rinks, to move from Colorado and join the company when she was in town for a family birthday.
“We were going to go golfing and look at some houses just for fun,” Whitney said. “After we looked at one house, my husband was like, ‘Let’s put in an offer.’ We moved four weeks later.”
Whitney helps keep the business organized, and her kids benefit from living near cousins.
“It’s great to see [Taylor] have so much success and love what she’s doing,” Whitney said. “That’s why I love my job. It’s so much fun to help. When it’s family, it means so much more.”
