This article is sponsored by East Coast Umbrella, a trusted manufacturer of high-quality, custom umbrellas for commercial applications.

In today’s digital age, businesses are increasingly turning to online ordering to streamline their operations. However, one small East Coast company is proving that a personal touch and direct communication can still go a long way in building strong customer relationships.

East Coast Umbrella, a company that specializes in custom commercial-quality umbrellas, cushions, and outdoor accessories, does everything in-house, from graphic design to production. Every customer communicates directly with a representative from the company during the process, which has allowed them to establish strong and lasting relationships with their clients.

“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do at East Coast Umbrella, and our personalized approach to service is a big part of what keeps them coming back. The majority of our customer base is made up of repeat clients who value the attention and care we put into every order,” said DeWayne Day, president of East Coast Umbrella. “In addition to direct communication with our team, we keep an extensive inventory of in-stock fabrics and umbrella frames, which allows us to offer faster turnaround times and greater flexibility when it comes to customization.”

Despite being a small operation with only 50 employees, East Coast Umbrella has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most renowned brand names. Their commitment to providing personalized service and high-quality products has earned them a reputation as a trusted supplier for companies such as Dunkin Donuts, Dairy Queen,  Johnny Rockets, and more. As businesses continue to evolve in the digital age, the example set by East Coast Umbrella serves as a reminder that sometimes a personal touch can make all the difference in the world.

Get to Know East Coast Umbrella

• East Coast Umbrella proudly manufactures all of their products in the United States.
• In addition to commercial-grade umbrellas, cushions, and outdoor accessories, East Coast Umbrella offers custom sewing and graphic services.
• With a strong commitment to innovation, East Coast Umbrella continuously finds new ways to improve their products with several proprietary solutions available in their catalog.

Thomas Insights (TI): As a small business, you seem to have had a lot of success working with large brands. What do you think sets you apart in your industry?

DeWayne Day (DD): We put a big emphasis on customer service and product quality. This is something that many businesses claim, but we have taken tangible steps to support these priorities. We have found that by keeping our entire operation in-house, from graphic design to fabric selection and production, we have greater control over the quality of the finished product and the turnaround time. Many companies in our industry have to outsource for fabrics or logo and graphics printing, which significantly increases lead times for the customer. We have over $1 million worth of fabric in inventory, and we have an in-house graphic design department. This allows us to drastically reduce lead times for our customers. We can deliver orders of any size within two to three weeks compared to two to three months from our competitors.

In addition to our in-house manufacturing, we also still handle all of our orders personally. We have found that this builds trust with our customers by showing them that we value their satisfaction and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure a positive experience. This has ultimately lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Our customers have a direct line of communication with us, which makes them feel more confident in the process and more likely to trust that their order will be fulfilled accurately and on time.

TI: Speaking of going above and beyond, can you give an example of a time when you went the extra mile for a customer?

DD: Going above and beyond is something we strive to do on a daily basis. Because we take care of everything in-house, we can regularly take on rush orders. For example, I recently spoke with a customer who needed 200 umbrellas in two weeks. I told him we could do it because we had everything we needed to complete the order in-house. 

Coca-Cola is another prime example of a rush order we completed in the past. As the exclusive beverage supplier for Six Flags, Coca-Cola had to install their umbrellas in all 27 Six Flags locations across the country. This order consisted of approximately 3,000 umbrellas that needed to be finished in less than a month. I took it upon myself to determine when all the opening dates were for every location to ensure on-time delivery. Since the locations in the southern part of the country opened earlier, we prioritized shipping to those locations before sending the remaining items to the northern locations that had later opening dates. Using this strategy, we were able to deliver the umbrellas to all locations before they opened for the season.

TI: Are there any emerging trends in the commercial umbrella industry, and how are you keeping up with them?

DD: As our products are solely designed for outdoor use, we are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance the safety and durability of our umbrellas to endure the challenging conditions in which our clients employ them. Wind is a significant factor that affects the safety of commercial-grade umbrellas. The strength and durability of the umbrella’s frame, as well as the materials used to construct the canopy, play a crucial role in ensuring that the umbrella can withstand strong winds without collapsing or flying away.

One way that we have addressed this concern is by switching our frame construction from hollow fiberglass to solid fiberglass. This simple design modification prevents the frames from snapping if strong winds are present. We are also in the process of developing new, wind-tested safety umbrellas made of fabrics that allow more wind to escape in anticipation of forthcoming safety regulations.

Another trend we have identified is in the outdoor dining space. As outdoor dining areas become increasingly popular, we have responded to industry trends by introducing the Illumishade™ solar umbrella to our product line. This is a heavy-duty umbrella designed for commercial-grade use. It not only provides shade during the day but also illuminates dining tables at night with solar-powered LED lights. We believe this innovation will be particularly beneficial to restaurants looking to create beautiful and functional outdoor dining areas.