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Connect Smoother to ASIA with JAL

The path to success for two modern, All-American college roommates? Classic embroidery, and a leap of faith.

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Needlepoint is not exactly the type of thing you would associate with two hotshot businessmen. In fact, when Smathers & Branson owners Peter Smathers Carter and Austin Branson first met their production counterpart in Vietnam 15 years ago, there was a moment of confusion at the hotel lobby.

"He had assumed we were a middle-aged married couple; he also assumed 'Austin' was a female's name—he didn't expect a pair of twenty-two year old guys fresh out of college [wanting to set up a needlepoint business]," shares Peter. But apart from that comic glitch, the partners describe that first Vietnam trip as "magic," cementing their seemingly incongruous business concept.

Since then, Peter and Austin have traveled to Southeast Asia at least twice a year over the last 15 years, as their Bethesda-based company gained a reputation for producing top quality preppy needlepoint products worn by sorority girls, sports stars and former American presidents alike.

From College Roomies to Business Partners

Some success stories are born in humble garages; theirs was hatched in a dorm room at Bowdoin College. "We had each been gifted a needlepoint belt from our then-girlfriends and became intrigued with these unique accessories," shares Peter. He and Austin realized there would be an appeal for such timeless items, and conspired to create a needlepoint belt line that was to become Smathers & Branson.

The interesting thing about needlepoint is that it has never really gone out of style or needed a resurrection—it just wasn't widely available.

Smathers & Branson began with an introductory line of 12 needlepoint belts and 12 needlepoint key fobs peddled to friends and family, and soon grew to a full range of hand-stitched, classic accessories offered across the United States.

Their range has also since expanded to custom products, and one-of-a kind Life Belts^®. And through their licensing agreements, they now offer needlepoint products for many of the nation's top universities and colleges, fraternities and sororities, Major League Baseball^® teams, and National Hockey League^® teams. Score!

Leap Of Faith

"Our biggest challenge was finding and training skilled artisans," says Peter. A contact at a trade fair had connected them to Mr Quang, a producer in Vietnam. After corresponding with him over email and sampling products, Peter and Austin took a leap of faith and flew to Hanoi.

"Working with Quang face to face sped up the product development process ten fold… Not only did it lay the groundwork of our production process and set the high quality standards that we knew we needed to take our product to market, but we began a friendship with Quang that would have been impossible to develop over email."

As our company continues to grow, we have the satisfaction that our artisans' level of success grows as well.

That leap of faith also extended into some uncharted territory: no one was doing needlepoint out of Vietnam at the time. "Forms of hand embroidery are very common there and we thought that skill would translate to the art of needlepoint," reasons Peter. "Without realizing it, we had laid the groundwork for a cottage industry that, within a few years, would employ and provide opportunities for thousands of people. As our company continues to grow, we have the satisfaction that our artisans' level of success grows as well. "

That leap of faith also extended into uncharted territory: no one was doing needlepoint out of Vietnam at the time. "Forms of hand embroidery are very common there and we thought that skill would translate to the art of needlepoint," reasons Peter. "Without realizing it, we had laid the groundwork for a cottage industry that, within a few years, would employ and provide opportunities for thousands of people.

As our company continues to grow, we have the satisfaction that our artisans' level of success grows as well." They also enlisted the help of One Step Vietnam, a corporate responsibility monitoring team, to help audit their manufacturing process and ensure positive conditions for the artisans who create their products.

"Family" Business

More than simply growing their production and providing sustainable income for thousands of workers, Peter and Austin recognize that they have built a family halfway across the world.

Over the past 15 years, Quang has become family. His family is our family. He has changed our lives and we have changed his.

"He has visited us a few times in the USA and both of his sons have traveled to the States and lived with us to learn English and learn about our business. It's a wonderful cultural exchange."

Whenever they're in Vietnam, Peter and Austin are also warmly welcomed into the artisans' homes, and sometimes even spot their own photos up on the walls! Their bonding secret? "Jokes over cold beers is one of our favorite ways to end a day of work—it's a great way for us to connect about things other than business and has been a great way to get to know the people we work so closely with."

Exploring Asia

Peter and Austin visit Vietnam on official Smathers & Branson business at least twice a year, and whenever they get a chance, they relish exploring the rest of Asia as tourists. Travel highlights so far include the food and landscape of Northern Thailand and the happening vibe of Seoul in Korea, but hands down, their favorite R&R destination is Japan.

Influenced in part by his brother who has lived there for nearly ten years, Peter is especially enthralled by Japan. "Recently, I visited the Izu Peninsula and Kyoto with my wife. It was wonderful to watch her experience Japan for the first time and see her fall in love with the country just as I have." Since his first visit years back, Peter has been intrigued by Japan's culture and spirit of omotenashi.

Japanese hospitality is welcoming, perfectly attentive, formal without being stuffy and always with an appreciation for ceremony and tradition—it's like nothing else and it is a beautiful thing. It's no surprise that some of my favorite hotels in the world can be found in Japan.

JAL Fan

Peter's love for Japanese efficiency and service also plays into his airline of choice: Japan Airlines. As a constant traveler, he raves about the safety, efficiency, and unparalleled comfort JAL provides. "When traveling to Asia, a comfortable seat is paramount for those long flights. Not only does it make the flight go faster, but I find myself much sharper during my meetings once I land if I'm given the opportunity to stretch out a bit and rest."

Peter often chooses to fly through Tokyo en route to Vietnam, and takes advantage of the oneworld® alliance mileage program. "I've flown through Tokyo a few times, and personally love it as a point of transit when I'm doing a day stop over."

A perfectionist with a healthy sense of adventure, Peter finds it reassuring that he can count on JAL's unrivalled quality of service when he travels. "Being so far away from home, it is important to be efficient with my time. Every minute is valuable when we are working face to face with our producer in Vietnam—it is a long way to go for a meeting—especially now that I have a wife and two young daughters to get home to."

A perfectionist with a healthy sense of adventure, Peter finds it reassuring that he can count on the unrivalled quality of service of JAL when he travels. "Being so far away from home, it is important to be efficient with my time. Every minute is valuable when we are working face to face with our producer in Vietnam—it is a long way to go for a meeting—especially now that I have a wife and two young daughters to get home to."