With the funding provided by an initial public offering, and a secondary offering, the Company, a craft retailer, was able to sustain very rapid growth by adding many locations.  However, the changing economic environment slowed growth and competition began heating up.  The Company's systems and management infrastructure had not kept up with the rapid store growth. Consequently, inventory ballooned while margins declined and cash became very tight.

Wimmer Associates conducted an assessment of the Company and developed an improvement plan.  About half of the Company's locations were closed.  New bank funding and management additions enabled the Company to continue to stabilize and begin a rebuilding process.