Small Business Case Study - Sandicast, Inc.

It's Not the Size of the Dog that Matters
Despite the fact San Diego, California, has seemingly little in common and many miles between it and Coalgate, Oklahoma, the two communities share a very special link: Sandicast, Inc.

The vision of this extraordinary company began in 1981, when founder and artist Sandra Brue began creating her first animal sculpture in her garage in San Diego. Today, this nationally renowned company is the premier manufacturer of hand-cast animal sculptures.

While Sandicast's corporate and administrative component remains in San Diego, its impressive 45,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility is rooted in Oklahoma soil - Coalgate, to be more specific. Coalgate, located in the south central part of Oklahoma, is a community of just under 2,000 inhabitants.

"No matter how you looked at it, it just made good economic sense to establish the facility in Oklahoma," says Ron Van Hoosen, plant manager of Sandicast in Coalgate. "After the company researched numerous other prospective U.S. communities, all indicators just kept pointing to Oklahoma. It's an excellent place to build solid footing for a company and it's been the perfect fit for Sandicast."

Since launching the company's facility in Oklahoma a year-and-a-half ago, its 15-member staff manufactures and distributes Sandicast's unique products to customers throughout the world.

"We have quite a following in Canada, Japan and Australia - just to name a few," Van Hoosen says. "There sure are a lot of animal lovers out there."

Handling orders on a national scale is a mighty load for 15 people, but the crew at Coalgate's Sandicast is up to the task. Sandicast's customer base consists of wholesalers, gift shops and small businesses that make these unique products available to individuals everywhere. The facility in Coalgate manufactures 300 of the larger animal figurines, as well as handles distribution of products made in China each month. In all, the company makes a total of 600 different products. 

It doesn't take an animal lover to recognize the level of skill every single sculpture exudes. Each piece is breathtakingly lifelike - for instance, the Jack Russell Terrier original has 65,358 individually sculpted hairs! The sculptures are so real, they look like they're looking right back at you!

The breadth of Sandicast's creations has grown to include 77 different breeds of dogs alone. The company also brings to life cats, as well as numerous wildlife species. Within each breed, multiple colors are created. Obviously, customers appreciate Sandicast's special attention to detail since approximately 70 percent of sales come from the 60+ additional breeds no one else offers. And Sandicast always has something new to offer, with new sculptures released twice a year.

It Takes a Team
The employees at the Sandicast facility in Coalgate, Oklahoma take pride in their work - from beginning to end.

"Creating these sculptures is a painstaking process every step of the way," Van Hoosen says. "We make sure each sculpture passes strict quality control before it is distributed. Our artists use both bristle and air brush methods of painting. We strive to create the highest quality, most realistic and lifelike sculptures on the market today. From the artists, to those who handle the shipping and distribution, it takes a team. We all really care about what we do and I believe it shows."

Their plans for the future are fairly simple and straightforward, much like the philosophy at the Coalgate facility itself.

"Basically, our plans for expansion depend on what the economy does," Van Hoosen says. "Our crew of 15 handles the current workload very well, but if the demand increases, we will certainly add to our staff."

To contact Sandicast, Inc. in Coalgate, Oklahoma: Ron Van Hoosen 580-927-9911,  vanhoosen@sandicast.com.

For information about how the Oklahoma Department of Commerce can help your company expand, contact Ken Talley, Business Solutions, 405-815-5218, or Rana Steeds, Business Solutions, 405-815-5143.

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