Here’s a nice article about one of our Fibrenew brethren in Spring Hope, NC. David Bryant has done a nice combining his craftsmanship into his leather repair business. Good job David!
http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/business/firm-gives-old-items-new-look-576999
On his horse farm in Spring Hope, David Bryant is building a fast-growing restoration and repair business, Fibrenew East.
The company restores, among other things, leather couches; chairs; aircraft consoles, interiors and seats; boat seats, consoles and interiors; car bumpers, consoles and door panels; horse saddles; medical tables and chairs; motorcycle seats; and vinyl seats and flooring. In most cases, Bryant will go to a client’s home to do the work.
“In most cases, I’ll go to houses (to make repairs), unless it’s a big job like a full couch restoration, which I’ll bring to the shop,” Bryant said. “Most of what I do is mobile. I do the work out of back of my truck. I carry air compressors, dyes, that kind of stuff. The hardest thing I do is matching colors. I have to match colors.”
In a down economy in which people are trying to save money, business has tripled since opening in 2009.
Q: What services or products do you provide?
A: I do repairs and restoration and redying and cleaning of leather, vinyl, plastics fabrics and upholstery. The company fixes cracks, stains, scratches, holes, rips and fades in leather. The business is environmentally friendly. When you do repair work, it keeps people from throwing (the product) in landfills. I’m really not doing any advertising. (Business) is kind of word of mouth. I get referrals from furniture companies, car dealers, individuals. I do a lot of (leather and vinyl repair on) trucks for Lilly International. I can re-dye floor mats. A lot of homeowners have trouble getting red stains out of furniture. I can do that. It takes special chemicals and heat to get it out.
Q: How many people do you employ?
A: Me.
Q: When were you established?
A: April 2009.
Q: What’s your business philosophy?
A: If you do good, high-quality work, you’re always going to stay busy.
Q: What makes your business unique?
A: Just what I do. The odd stuff I fix. People have no idea (some products) can even be fixed, like leather furniture when cats claw it up or dogs chew holes, or a car seat that has a hole in it from a screwdriver.
Q: Why did you pick Rocky Mount as a place to do business?
A: I used to own a chair and equipment rentals business in Rocky Mount. I wasn’t going to leave the area.
Q: How has your company grown?
A: Business has about tripled from the first year.
Q: What changes do you expect for your company in coming years?
A: It’s got nothing but potential to grow. The biggest problem is getting people to realize they can restore products. When I started going into furniture stores showing people pictures of what I did, even people working in the store had no idea what could be done, so it’s kind of educational process.
It’s moments like this that often lead parents to double and re-double their birth control efforts.
These picture are from a hilarious website called: @#$%* My Kids Ruined.
I’ve cleverly obfuscated the real name, since this is a family-oriented blog, but you get the idea.
The website has loads of pictures of “stuff” kids have ruined. Brian bought me the book for Christmas, and it quickly became a family favorite.
If something like this happens to you, the good news is that you don’t have to sell the kids. Hepler Bros. can come to your rescue. We can repair furniture with ink stains, paint, glitter, etc. And, you can keep your kids. You know you love ‘em!
Kelly on the local news
One of our Fibrenew brethren, Kelly Fuller, was on the Local News in his hometown of Dallas, TX last week.
Here’s a link to the video.
The story is about rising gas prices affecting our mobile business, but Kelly manages to get in a few good plugs for repairing leather and vinyl in cars and on furniture.
He said he’s asking customers to e-mail him pics rather than driving to their houses. That’s smart for everyone. We can give you a much better idea how much it cost to repair a couch if we can lay eyes on it first.
Got a question about getting your couch, boat seat, or car seat fixed? Drop us a line and send us a pic. We’ll make your life beautiful again!
This story is probably only funny to Brian, me, and the other Fibrenew franchisees out there, but I’m telling it anyway.
Brian sent me this Before picture of a small hole in a leather couch.
I thought it was a good idea to put the dime in there to give me an idea of scale, but I was confused by the damage. I could see the tear, but I wasn’t sure what the outline was around the tear.
So, I said to Brian, “Hey, what’s that outline around the tear?” He said the owner had put a band-aid over the tear as a temporary fix. I said, “Oh, that’s kinda weird.” And he said, “Yeah, but she’s a nurse.”
I LOL’d. Really struck me as funny. Maybe she just did it until the bleeding stopped. Like I said, probably only funny to me and other leather fixers.
He’s the After picture. Nice fix. Took me a while to find it.
So, if this happens to you, make your First Aid a call to Hepler Bros!
On Super Bowl Sunday, it’s not just the players who take a beating. During our Super Bowl parties, our furniture gets ran-SACKED more than a quarterback with food and drink spills. It’s all got to be cleaned up, but where do you start?
The local leather expert from Fibrenew, a leather and plastics refurbishing specialist, warns consumers of the Top Five Super Bowl Party Spills and arms them with The Do’s and Don’ts of Super Bowl Party Clean Up.
“We see a big increase in the damage of leather furniture this time of year with all the Super Bowl parties” says Michael Wilson, CEO of Fibrenew. “Clumsy guests cause damage, but the worst disasters are caused by homeowners who don’t know the best ways to clean up a mess and repair a problem.”
TOP FIVE SUPERBOWL SPILLS (and how to clean them!)*
1) FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a slice and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.
- DON’T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
- DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn’t going to hurt as long as you clean it up quickly, before it soaks through.
2) INK : The spoiled rotten … we mean darling … neighbor’s kid, is keeping score on your leather couch with his new marker set.
- DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agent in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray, another commonly recommended remedy, has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
- DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but, for serious problems, your local Fibrenew franchise can help.
3) NAIL POLISH: You try out OPI’s Affair in Red Square red to sexy up those toenails pre-game, but you end up polishing a couch cushion instead.
- DON’T use nail polish remover because it will take all of the color out of your leather and leave a bleached spot bigger than the nail polish spot.
- DO, once again, use a soft sponge and leather cleaner.
4) ANIMAL SCRATCHES AND PICKS: Your new dog gets all excited when Big Ben or Aaron Rodgers throws a touchdown and scratches the heck out of your couch.
- DON’T touch up the spots with shoe polish because it makes an ugly, sticky mess.
- DO try to reduce the visibility of the problem by snipping off the cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. DO use a hair dryer and massage minor scratches with leather cleaner to try to rub it out. Call a professional to fix larger scratches and holes – this is not a DIY kind of job.
5) BURNS AND DISCOLORATION: Those candles, strategically placed to keep the house smelling fresh, get knocked over when your father-in-law high-fives your nephew because his favorite team won. You lose with a dried out heat spot and a cracked couch cushion.
- DON’T try to rub it out and blend it with the surrounding area, you’ll only make the problem bigger.
- DO bring in some help. When leather or faux leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. Regardless of size, a professional repair can make that burn look brand new and can be done on the spot in your own home.
“We hate to see people damaging their leather furniture further by trying to fix minor problems,” says Wilson. “Part of our job as leather and plastics experts is to serve as a resource, helping people understand what problems they can handle on their own and when they need to call a professional.”
*There are several types of leather, and the following tips apply to all fully-finished leather, which makes up 85 percent of the leather market.
Tell this story with a Leather Expert at Hepler Bros. in your town who can damage leather and demonstrate the different DOs and DON’Ts of proper cleanup.
Here’s a shout-out to one of our fellow Fibrenew franchisees, Paul Wittig, in Indianapolis, IN. Paul appeared on a local news-talk show and did a fantastic job giving tips to folks about how to keep their furniture looking its best. There’s a link to a video below and 5 tips on upholstery cleaning and leather repair.
Five ways to fix furniture after the holidays : wishtv.com
INK : The spoiled rotten … we mean darling nephew, tries out his new marker set by drawing Spongebob on your leather couch. You become a crabby Patty and scramble to clean it up.
• DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agent in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but for serious problems your local Fibrenew franchise can help.
NAIL POLISH: You try out OPI’s Affair in Red Square red to sexy up those toenails, but you end up polishing a couch cushion instead.
• DON’T use nail polish remover because it will take all of the color out of your leather and leave a bleached spot bigger than the nail polish spot.
• DO once again, use a soft sponge and leather cleaner.
FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a greasy cheese and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.
• DON’T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn’t going to hurt as long as you clean up quickly before it soaks through.
ANIMAL SCRATCHES AND PICKS: For the purr-fect gift, Santa brings your kids a kitty. Hello Kitty quickly turns into GOOD BYE Kitty when the fury friend (now foe) decides your leather couch is his new scratching post.
• DON’T touch up the spots with shoe polish because it makes an ugly, sticky mess.
• DO try to reduce the visibility of the problem by snipping off the cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. DO use a hair dryer and massage minor scratches with leather cleaner to try to rub it out. Call a professional to fix larger scratches and holes – this is not a DIY kind of job.
BURNS AND DISCOLORATION: Those window candles get knocked over on your upholstery and are left on overnight. You wake up Christmas morning to a dried out heat spot and a cracked couch cushion.
• DON’T try to rub it out and blend it with the surrounding area, you’ll only make the problem bigger.
• DO bring in some help. When leather or faux leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. Regardless of size, a professional repair can make that burn look brand new and can be done on the spot in your own home.
If you get to this point, give Hepler Bros. a call at 904 707-2326. We’ll make your life beautiful again.
First, everyone needs to know a qualified cleaning professional to call on when necessary! Hepler Bros. is certified in the cleaning of upholstered furniture, having completed IICRC cleaning courses. The IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning & Restoration Certification) is a non-profit organization that has been known as the ‘Industry Guardian’ for over 30 years. They approve certified courses that help set industry standards, thus insuring customers have access to trained professionals. That’s why Hepler Bros. wants to be sure you know we are IICRC certified, which also means that Hepler Bros. is trained in the newest techniques and uses the latest products recommended for the cleaning of upholstery.
It’s important that you not wait until severe soiling has occurred before cleaning your upholstery. Otherwise, the likelihood of being able to restore your upholstery fabric to its original color and appearance is greatly decreased. The average person subjects regularly-used upholstery fabrics to daily soiling from food and beverage spills, body oils, lotions, pet hair, etc., making periodic professional upholstery cleaning key to extending the life of the fabric.
This is the time of year that many of us will decide to spruce up for the holidays which may include having our upholstery cleaned. And then there are those of us that would rather wait and organize a thorough cleaning after the holiday decorations are put away. Regardless, it is during the cold winter months, when we tend to spend more time indoors, that we also become more aware of our indoor environment needs. Upholstery cleaning is one of those tasks that can easily be taken care of during the winter months, meaning one less thing to put on your spring cleaning list!
In the meantime, following are a few Upholstery Fabric Cleaning Tidbits to keep in mind:
- Vacuum thoroughly and regularly to remove dust, dirt & grit that causes abrasion.
- Rotate & reverse all removable cushions periodically to assure even wear.
- Keep pets off as much as possible, as their body oils are difficult to remove.
- Note that newspaper & magazine inks may transfer to upholstery.
- Remove shoes when possible, as shoe polish gets on upholstery very easily.
- Immediate spot removal and spill clean-up is important.
- Blot up liquid spills with a colorfast, absorbent cloth or towel.
- Scrape up viscous materials, like ice cream, with a spoon.
Just remember, there’s no need to cry over spilled milk!
Call Hepler Bros. today at 904 707-2326.
Check out this dog bite on a leather couch that Brian fixed this week. Here’s the Before pic:
Yow!!!!
I know!
Anyway, Brian fixed it. Check it out:
Maybe we’re not the best photogs, but I’m sure you can see it’s a huge improvement. To be fair, if you look at the repair up close, you’ll see it. But, it’s way better!
And, there is no truth to the rumor that we use bacon-scented dyes in our work. Totally untrue!
: )
Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas!
Before I got into this business, I wouldn’t have thought much of re-dyeing a couch. After all, I lived in a fraternity house for four years where we burned used furniture to keep warm and for fun, but I digress.
Re-dyeing a couch, or any other piece of furniture, is an economical way to make the old new and give your living room a fresh new look. Take a look at these Before and After pictures of an 8-year-old couch we re-dyed on a sunny Saturday in Jacksonville.
Now, take a look at the couch after we re-dyed it a nice, deep, chocolate brown.
I think it’s ready for another 8 years! Give Fibrenew Hepler Bros. a call today! 904 707-2326
I think everyone should own a pit bull. They’re playful, full of energy, some have really sweet personalities, and the main reason is they are good for our leather repair business.
Take a look at what this playful, sweet pit bull did to his owner’s roomate’s leather furniture while trying to retrieve her favorite toy.
Uh-oh! Better call Hepler Bros.! Your local Fibrenew experts on leather and vinyl repair.
No worries. Here’s what the furniture looked like afterwards. All better.
We think everyone in Jacksonville should own a pit bull. Please think seriously about adopting one today. You can always call us tomorrow.
