CHINO, Calif. – Susan Colvin made a decision 15 years ago when she was about to launch California Exotic Novelties.
“I want this company to provide the highest quality, most innovative, safest adult toys and novelties on the market,” she said.
It was a tall order, not only for a new company just starting out, but for a woman trying to enter a male-dominated industry.
“She was the first woman in this industry, and she really took it by storm,” said Al Bloom, director of marketing for California Exotic Novelties. “She was the one who really softened everything up and made products that women and couples would want to buy, but she also still had to compete with the big boys.”
Colvin put together a team of professionals who shared her vision. There was a conscious effort to blur the lines between departments in order to provide a group dynamic that encouraged everyone to contribute their ideas for product development, manufacturing and distribution.
Colvin also knew that while, at the time, most products were purchased by men for women, that would soon change.
By developing products that had a softer look, better materials, prettier names, she encouraged women to take on the buying power and find the items that they wanted.
“She is truly instrumental in make the industry what it is today,” Bloom said.
Colvin set the standard for what the industry has become, and while it sometimes is hard to maintain the standard you’ve set, Colvin has done so consistently.
“The company holds fast to the dedication to quality,” said Jackie White, Cal Exotics' vice president of sales. “Our name on a product means that it’s of the highest quality and we stand behind it. From wholesale to retail, our products are backed by the strongest warranty in the business.”
Volume is also one of the things the company is known for, Bloom added.
“Everything, from the way we ship, to our computers, to how we fill orders, to how we let customers know their orders are filled, is state-of-the-art,” he said. “The infrastructure Susan created for this company is unparalleled.”
Today, Cal Exotics features a catalog of more than 3,000 products, as well as another 3,000 through a private label division. There are more than 90 people employed in a 200,000-square-foot facility in Chino, Calif.
“Our success wouldn’t be possible without the trust and acceptance by our consumers, and the strong bonds we created with our great team of retailers and distributors,” Colvin said. “As we mark our 15th anniversary, my personal pledge to you is that the reputation for quality, safety, innovation, customer service, and dedication California Exotic Novelties has built will not waver.”
For more information, visit CalExotics.com.
