A second generation embroiderer, Alan has been in the embroidery business full time since 1983, with experience as a distributor of embroidery equipment and supplies, and is publisher of the Embroidery Industry Workbook Series. Current workbooks include "HOW TO START AN EMBROIDERY BUSINESS","KEEPING YOUR BUSINESS HEALTHY" & "TRAINING FOR EMBROIDERY OPERATORS".
He started and is an active partner in DESIGN CENTER, which was a wholesale contract embroiderer, specializing in medium quantity (under 500 units) embroidery runs with standard 1 week turn-around. Recently the company has been reorganized to handle specialty projects only.
Alan, has previously assisted and trained other embroiderers on business operations, management and finances. He has been a seminar speaker for IMPRESSIONS, PRINTWEAR and STITCHES Magazines, and SGIA conferences, and has been to every continent but Australia (but working on it) to meet, train and exchange ideas on the embroidery industry.
He is currently owner of UNIVERSAL DESIGN, INC., which has become a leading internet service provider to the embroidery industry UD.NET. EmbroideryMall, EmbroideryUniversity, EmbroideryDirectory, EmbroideryList are just a few of the more than 20,000 web pages that are now hosted through this organization. The marketing focus of www.ud.net, is being the primary internet vortal for the embroidery industry.
He has spent years trying to get the embroidery industry focused on helping one another. Whether it be through the Embroiderers' Guild of America, or the Embroidery Museum, he truly feels education is what makes the difference between mediocre and great embroidery, and is the driving reason behind why he and his wife founded Embroidery University.
Active in local community events, Past-President of the Board of Trustees of his church, instructor for Leadership Development Seminars, co-founder of Tether Group (organization for the support and encouragement of entrepreneurs), President of his local business association (representing 4,800 businesses), and and Scoutmaster of a very high adventure Boy Scout Troop.
Alan lives in a renovation-in-progress, 100+ year old victorian home and adjacent Bed & Breakfast in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife (an accomplished artist) and eighteen-year old son (Eagle Scout).
02/03