Angel Anzola has worked with leather since he was a teenager. He fell in love with the craft at that time and has never thought of doing anything else. While the family lived back home in Colombia, his daughter Luz Angela Anzola watched as he created amazing things with leather and saw that he had great success in his work.
In 2009 the Anzolas immigrated to Canada. Luz Angela and Braiden Gall decided to go into business in 2018 and co-founded Gallup Leather. This enterprise has allowed Angel, the craftsman, to once more do what he loved most, working with leather.
The Kingsville Times recently interviewed Luz Angela Anzola about Gallup Leather.
Kingsville Times:
What was your motivation for starting your business?
Luz Angela Anzola:
We saw an opportunity to bring high-quality leather wallets to our now adopted community, Windsor-Essex. It all started with one wallet and now our vision to design and create unique leather products has developed into an entire collection of Gallup Products.
KT:
What advice would you give to others who might be considering starting a business?
LAA:
For anyone considering starting a business, my advice is to have a vision of what you want to do and why you are doing it. Don’t be afraid to fail and ask for help, there are many resources in the community and just go for it!
It’s not easy, but nothing good in life comes easy. The small business community is extremely helpful and we are all here to support one another.
KT: How would you describe your services and products?
LAA:
Gallup products are all handmade from top-grain cowhide leather.
Our custom-made leather comes from South America. Because of developed partnerships, we know that the leather is a by-product of the livestock industry.
Our leather comes with the purpose to be recycled from this industry and create classic and unique leather accessories that can be used for years to come.
KT:
What is your business motto?
LAA:
“High-quality leather products at a reasonable price”
KT: Who are your target clients?
LAA:
Gallup is for individuals who look for unique, durable handcrafted goods. Whether it is for yourself or someone else, we guarantee a long-lasting product made locally with integrity, originality and pride.
KT:
What do your clients say about your business?
LAA:
The feedback from our clients has always been great. The process to order is easy and the quality of the leather is always highlighted. We are approachable and love to meet our clients.
It’s common to see returning customers. So if you have been a client of ours and you are reading this, we thank you for your support, and if this is your first time hearing about Gallup, we welcome you!
KT:
What are your plans for business growth? Are there New services or products that clients can look out for?
LAA:
I am currently enrolled in school for marketing and advertising. I hope to bring that knowledge into my small business so we can keep expanding and let more people know that we are here to provide valuable leather goods and excellent customer service.
A goal of ours is to develop a website for e-commerce, so that’s in the works right now.
As far as products, we have been expanding little by little into laser customizations. We hope to provide this service for special events like weddings, bachelor parties, birthday events, etc.
KT:
How has COVID affected your business and what have you done to COVID-proof it?
LAA:
In our first 2 years in business we participated in events like Art in the Park, Etsy Made in Canada, Walkerville Art Walk and many more. Due to COVID, all these events have been cancelled and the opportunity to interact with our customers first-hand was no longer an option.
We lost the opportunity to meet new clients, show our passion to our customers, and witness the satisfaction of customers as they are looking at our products, touching and smelling the leather.
To overcome this, we offered free local delivery and assisted with virtual shopping at The Urban Art Market. It gave us the chance to interact with our customers. Even though it was virtually, we still really enjoyed hearing from them first hand.
It has pushed us more into the online world. We hope to take what we learned during this time to develop a website where we can provide our users with a one-stop enjoyable shopping experience.
These are the places where you can find our products:
Retail:
The Urban Art Market in Windsor
Facebook:
Gallup Leather
Instagram:
GallupLeather
Email:
gallup.leather@gmail.com
Photos provided by Gallup Leather
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