I like notebooks and I can not lie …
… which is why we’ve started highlighting American-made pocket notebook companies like Field Notes, and now Story Supply Co., on the Cuppa SEO blog.
In case you’re not familiar, our spotlight series always highlights an amazing small business that stands out from the crowd for their excellent service, products — and all-around awesomeness. It’s a small way for us to “give back” to the brands that make us smile, and help us do our work (yes, even web designers like using pencil and paper!).
As you’ll see, Story Supply Co. doesn’t just offer an exceptional product. They’re also using their business to help underserved kids in the highest-need cities and neighborhoods.
Let’s get to the interview!
1. Who is Story Supply Co. (SSC)?
Story Supply Co. consists mainly of Vito Grippi and Gabriel Dunmire. We occasionally call in extra help or collaborators for certain projects.
2. What Do You Do?
We are a community-driven print shop and design studio in the heart of York, Pennsylvania. Everything from bookbinding, leatherwork, and screenprinting happens right in our studio. Mainly we create analog tools to help people tell their story. We started out focusing solely on notebooks and other stationery products but have since ventured into hand-pulled screen printed shirts and posters.
SSC also operates using a BOGO sales model. We donate notebooks and pencils to organizations that serve kids in underserved communities.
3. Why Do You Love Doing It?
We’re really driven by the process. There’s no better feeling than coming up with a concept and then watching it turn into a tangible object. And as writers and artists, we know the value of analog tools in the creative process. We love paper and the tactile nature of the products and want to share that with people.
4. How Does it Help People?
The products themselves are simple and high quality. As creative people we sometimes get bogged down by all of the options available to us. I’ve spent so much time looking for the right software to keep me organized, the right system to help me come up with ideas. Those tools are important, but often a simple notebook and pencil is where we give ourselves the freedom to try something new.
5. How do you guys find inspiration for note book themes?
Our limited edition notebook ideas usually come from our personal lives. They’re quite autobiographical in a way. There’s always some kind of intersection between life events and a connection to a story or other piece of art. For example, the “Morning” edition books came from an early morning drive through some rolling hills. Something about the way the fog covered the ground struck something in me. I was going through something of a dark time personally. As I shared the idea with Gabe (he handles all the design and art stuff) I could feel his wheels start spinning. That’s always my favorite part of the process. We get giddy and hyper focused. All the projects we’ve spent time planning and thinking about often don’t come to fruition.
6. What’s your favorite notebook making tool?
I can’t quite explain it, but I get so much satisfaction from rounding the notebook corners.
7. Any plans for a special coffee edition of your notebooks in the near future?
Yes, definitely. We’ve talked to a few roasters and have come up with ideas, but none of them have lit the spark quite yet. As you can imagine, there are always way more ideas than time.
Thank you, Vito, for taking some time to share the Story Supply Co. story. To learn more, or to order some analog tools for yourself (or your company), visit StorySupplyCo.com.