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It's a business story that most people dream about: creating a product that sells nationally and successfully enters the international market. And it all came about because of a spill.
In the fall of 2004, Michelle Romero was a young, recently married dental assistant trying to figure out what to do with her life. One day, during her lunch break, she did something many people have done: She spilled on her favorite handbag. Frustrated by the thought of having to replace her bag, she wished she could change the outside of it. She immediately came up with the idea of creating a bag with changeable covers. Despite her limited sewing skills, Michelle grabbed her super glue and scrap fabric, took apart the stained bag and created the very first prototype.
This became the basis for Miche Bag, a manufacturer and wholesaler of women's handbags. The company offers more than 40 shell styles for its classic bag and more than 15 shells for its big bag. New styles are released every month while others are retired to keep the line fresh and original. In January, Miche released its Hope shell, featuring quotes from cancer patients and survivors. Proceeds from sales of the shell will be donated to Huntsman Cancer Foundation to fund cancer research.
Although she came up with the original concept, Michelle brought in two experienced businessmen, Corbin Church and Chris Seegmiller, to help run the company. Corbin, chief executive officer, has extensive experience with running successful companies while Chris, company president, has a background in importing and exporting. The combination of the two has proved invaluable in launching the bag domestically and internationally. Miche Bag is now found in 34 countries worldwide.
Miche Bag is experiencing tremendous growth and both Chris and Corbin feel the company's future is bright. They plan to maintain Miche Bag's headquarters in the Salt Lake valley.
