How a Small Company Revolutionized an Industry
A colorful and inviting space welcomed attendees as they entered the warehouse of The Hiviz, a uniform manufacturer in Batesville, Indiana. As part of the Side Hustle Series, The Hiviz owner, Lisa Hutson, shared her inspiring story of taking a passion and turning it into a career. The Side Hustle Series provides an opportunity for business-owners like Lisa to connect with new entrepreneurs to share advice about developing a side hustle into a career.
Although The Hiviz is a small company with 10 employees, it has truly revolutionized the uniform manufacturing industry. Lisa explained the path The Hiviz followed in order to gain important manufacturing contracts like Cargill, along with many others. Although The Hiviz has made sustainable growth, Lisa described how they stayed focused on what was important to her family throughout the process. “We didn’t want to take on too much and not do it well,” Lisa said. The Hiviz has a deep commitment to superior customer service and to it’s employees.
The team at The Hiviz shared stories of vetting suppliers, maintaining environmental sustainability while being environmentally responsible in all parts of their business, keeping purchases local, and creating new computing systems to streamline their manufacturing process. An interesting example of their green manufacturing was on display during the presentation—a clothing line that was made from recycled plastic that they are planning to launch in the future. Amy Streator, Executive Director of the Ripley County Community Foundation, stated, “I am extremely impressed with Lisa’s vision and commitment to her employees’ quality of life.” Streator further stated, “The Hiviz is a business right in the our own backyard and will leave an amazing legacy and a lasting footprint for the future of this community.”
As The Hiviz continues to grow, Lisa noted how it was extremely important to stay true to their initial goals. Their vision is to use their influence in the industry to create a wave of positive change. In order to continue with this vision in mind, The Hiviz has a dedicated branding guide that helps them ensure that every decision, action, and policy stays true to who they are as a company. This was just one of the fantastic pieces of advice The Hiviz owner, Lisa Hutson, imparted on new entrepreneurs in attendance.
Genesis: Pathways to Success, the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank The Hiviz for hosting the September session of the Side Hustle Series and sharing their amazing story of growth and entrepreneurship. If you are interested in attending a future session of the Side Hustle Series, please visit www.genesisp2s.org/entrepreneurship to learn more and register for future sessions.
