Episode 21: SF Made

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A transcript, lightly edited for clarity and length, follows.

Show Guests: Pierre Coeurdeuil, Director of Advising & Education, SFMade

Voices of the Community Introduction: Welcome to voices of the community which explores critical issues facing Northern California communities. We introduce you to the voices of community thought leaders and change makers who are working on solutions that face our fellow individual community members neighborhoods cities and our region. This is George Koster your host. 

Series Introduction: This episode is part of our series exploring COVID-19’s impact on nonprofits and small businesses in San Francisco. We started the series back in April 2020 during the height of the first phase of the Covid 19 pandemic and the Shelter In Place requirements. Over these past nine months, the Covid-19 pandemic and economic meltdown have wiped out millions of jobs in both the nonprofit and small business sectors as well as shuttered tens of thousands of small business operations.

The goal of the series is to shine a spotlight on the nonprofits, small businesses, and their staff who are struggling to deal with the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on their operations, services and sustainability. The series of interviews we conducted features voices from a cross-section of organizations that make up the fabric of our community.  Each of them brings a unique perspective on how they and we are dealing with the issues facing our community during the global pandemic and economic depression.

Show Guest Pierre: Most need capital. And now it's becoming urgent. And so, they need another government stimulus package or some kind of capital to, survive, especially the winter. You have to consider that many, many manufacturers will make 50 to 70% of their annual revenue in the last two or three months of the year and right now, no one knows what's gonna happen… 

Episode Intro - Show Host George: In this episode, our featured voice is Pierre Coeurdeuil, Director of Advising & Education, at SFMade. San Francisco had forgotten its history of manufacturing with all of the latest booms such as the first dot com boom, then the bio tech boom and now tech boom 2.0. In 2009 Mark Dwight founder of Timbuk2 and Rickshaw Bags came together with Kate Sofis and Janet Lees to launch the nonprofit SFMade. Over the last ten years, SFMade has focused on enabling manufacturing to return to its place in our community and economy and to bring the jobs and products back into our lives.

Show Host George: I'm joined remotely via Zoom by Pierre Coeurdeuil from SFMade. Thanks for being here, Pierre.

Show Guest Pierre: Thank you for having us.

Show Host George: I would love to start the show with Pierre, having you provide a little background on, what does SFMade and how does SFMade work with makers and small manufacturers like Michelle and Nana Joes. 

Show Guest Pierre: SFMade is a, non-profit created in 2010, and you can look at it differently from the manufacturer's perspective and from the public's perspective. To manufacturers, we're both a way to create community and also to receive some advice and education on how to start and grow your business, how to stay in the city and how to hire from a local and diverse workforce.

We work directly with manufacturers large and small, and we provide services like educational workshops, direct advising from our in-house staff and also from volunteer advisors. and we adapt this advising to the company. It can go from long-term and light touch, some kind of mentorship, on business growth and strategy all the way to deep advising.

Probably for something like 10 to 20 hours over a short period of months, or just a few months or weeks and on topics that can be a little deeper, like production efficiency, supply chain, finance, online marketing, these days, you name it. And you may hear me say our members, because we're non-profit, but you have to join and become a member.

Members are their owned manufacturing companies headquartered and making their products in the City. Anyone is free to join as a member you don't have to pay for it. The only thing is we ask the people, fill out one survey a year so we get, tell the story of what's happening to manufacturers and to the whole sector.

So that's from the point of view of manufacturers and to the public SF made is a logo. We are lucky to have banners all around town. That when it's on product shows that a product is made in San Francisco. And we're also the organizers of holiday fairs, used to be one at Pinterest in November and one at CCA, in the design district right across from our headquarters in December, where all the products you buy are made in the city and this year is just testing it out online,  only open to Pinterest employees, but hopefully we're going to open it to the public starting, next year, if everything works out and if we cannot do it in person. Overall, we're really a network and a way to find local products in their makers.

George: Pierre how has COVID-19 impacted the operations of SFMade and then how have you and your team pivoted to try to support all of, the makers like Michelle?

Pierre: I've heard the term pivot so many times these past few months it's crazy. We used to meet with companies and business owners all the time and moved up to Steve to phone. And now everyone is comfortable with zoom and video chats. It’s not the same because you don't get those same visual cues. You cannot tour facilities and we don't have group meetings anymore, which was a great way to share issues, learn and network with others.

Otherwise we still help our members with direct advising with hiring, finding space. Although not so many people for space these days, but some industries are still hiring a lot, and connection to local resources. On the public side, there's no more fairs, but still some educational workshops and our staff is working remotely at least on the operational side that's the main change.

In terms of how we adapted our services during COVID we've never been busier, especially, earlier on. And we increased our communication frequency because we, stay in touch with members. We have a newsletter dedicated to our manufacturers, and we moved from a monthly, frequency to weekly and from 20% of members in general opening our emails, we increased to 70%, so a lot more people thankfully read what we're writing.

And we've shifted our services. I think we've been really helpful in being the creators and the aggregator of the manufacturing specific resources and information during COVID. There were so many things out there we, could, digest it for everyone. We've moved our direct advising to remote most of the time, our workshops are online and what's been interesting is we've been dealing with core business issues that have been arising. It really started with workforce reduction unfortunately, how do I furlough or lay off my staff? for many businesses that were completely shut down. How do I access capital to survive?

And then with that capital, once all the admin work is done and I finally have it, how do I reopen, how do I heal rehire? How do we reopen safely? So, we've worked on implementing health and safety rules. And now the focus is more, how do I rebuild revenue and pivot or adapt to selling as much as possible direct and online, which is difficult, because I mean, the noise is crazy out there. And some of our funding has been affected or maybe in the future. And that's another thing, that may impact us.

George: Can you share a story with, how SFMade is helped incubate someone like, Michelle and Nana Joes, to bring them to market and part of that would be, what do you feel like has been the largest impact of SFMade on small manufacturers, makers, our local economy, the whole, multiplier of someone like Michelle's work is, all of the people she hires, as well. And, I think people lose track of that.

Pierre: So, there are two things, how we've helped, companies like Nana Joe's in the past and during COVID, they're pretty different things. Before COVID, the biggest impact was probably, when we can help with direct hires with especially people with barriers to employment, like formerly homeless or formerly incarcerated, or when we can make sure that the manufacturer can grow in the City. Like, our biggest success story in the past two years is,  chocolate manufacturer, Charles Chocolates, who found a larger production space that they could still afford in the same neighborhood, that tripled the size of their space, which we're super happy that this could happen and we can keep them in the city.

Or when I mentioned advising projects, when we can actually help the manufacturer with huge efficiency gains, like the decrease in lead times and increase in volumes. These are the success stories that we use to really care for the most. And the biggest overall impact both before and during the pandemic is that it's about creating a network of manufacturers, like giving a voice to the manufacturing sector, to the City, our funders, everyone, hopefully the public, and then really helping manufacturers know and talk to each other and often partner with each other, which we're always super happy to see.

During COVID the main thing is we were a source of information, like filtering the information applicable. Were the programs applicable? The help applicable to manufacturers, large and small. There were so many local and government programs for everyone, every business. That we were the voice of manufacturers. I mean, hopefully that's what we want it to be and, also helping you protect your employees, and your business by finding capital Ah good example is we help Nana Joe's, get a PPP loan, talk to the City to help create the health and safety rules so manufacturers in general could reopen quickly and safely.

In addition to our staff, specializing in some areas like, our director of workforce Claire Michaels knew all the details, of the FFCRA, all the workforce programs and, also the local ones, many, many programs, that could help manufacturers.

And I was the person keeping track of all their loan and grant programs in particular all the many changes around the PPP Paycheck Protection Program loan that basically transforms, into a grant if you met all the criteria’s. In addition to that, we've always been working with employment and tax lawyers with bankers, with lots of professionals that are ready to help pro bono and that we called on often during the pandemic. We're trying to be a voice for manufacturers and bringing all the advice that they might need, at all times, especially during a pandemic.

One thing that I wanted to mention just because it's what's needed right now. We have been able to help, especially accessing capital reopening and right now trying to sell more direct and online. But right now, even though most manufacturers seem to be able to survive through the endemic, most need capital. And now it's becoming urgent. And so, they need another government stimulus package or some kind of capital to, survive, especially the winter. You have to consider that many, many manufacturers will make 50 to 70% of their annual revenue in the last two or three months of the year. And right now, no one knows what's gonna happen because there are no direct events. There's very little, corporate, buying for the holidays, but no one really knows what to, produce in preparation for the holidays and what to expect.  

George: Pierre people, watching, listening, how can they support, SF made or the small companies like, Nana Joe's, within the ecosystem of SFMade?

Pierre: It's more of the, companies. We're always happy if you give a donation to SF made, but we're mostly relying on larger funders. So, the easiest simplest best thing you can do is really buy local, make a conscious effort to look for businesses and products that are made not just in San Francisco, but around where you live, wherever that may be. I mean, looking for products made close to where you are in grocery stores is one great thing, but it's not a way. I mean, depending where you shop, it's not always easy.  So, try and, buy online. Don't buy everything on Amazon, but look around where you are, go to your local stores as much as you can. And spend some time on research. Like I think it's more important than ever to buy products, not just me locally, but by businesses with good values.

That is why we have for example, in San Francisco Nana Joe's has the SF green business label. All these labels are there for a reason and they can really help you certify that the companies are good ones. Businesses that respect their employees if you check their stories, whatever they're putting out, there on social media, if they put forward their employees, that's pretty telling, and of course, businesses that are owned by or hire many people of color and with barriers to employment. And again, these stories are found on social media very often. And so, it's a good way to learn about the companies you're buying from. And you'll, feel good for buying local and you'll support your local economy, which is going to be absolutely critical in the next few months and years.

And we're, here to try and help, and so feel free to reach out to us if maybe if we can help you connect with local businesses, people that make stuff really close to where you are. We're happy to do that. But it's something that you can definitely research yourself. Like don't try and buy everything from the larger retailers online. They're not helping the small people around you at all.

George: Out of this pandemic here, what do you think are some of the good things that could happen to support our small manufacturers our locally based business and retailers here in San Francisco?

Pierre: I'm not sure what can happen to support them, but I can tell you the positive things we've seen happen. Many manufacturing businesses are thankfully farsighted, and many have enough capital set aside for rainy days and that has helped them stay in business so far. and they're incredibly resourceful. Again, I'm going to use the term pivot ah, that's really what many did like, they right sized they refocused on what they did best and adapted to the situation.  I can give you three examples. Some really saw what worked well during the pandemic and then they focused on their niche.

Jenny Lemon has a small, retail store in the mission and she realized that her retail store was dead. And how would she sell her apparel and her small DIY products? What she did is focus on online classes for corporate teams and that worked pretty well.  Everyone has read about the brewers and distillers who started making hand sanitizer. I mean, you do whatever you can to adapt and re focus on what's needed.

Many advanced manufacturers made PPE personal protective equipment and that kind of stuff. Some adapted really well, pivoted really well, like some specialized stores selling food or beverage coffee most of the time, turned into general stores to attract a wider clientele and stay open and also to highlight different products made locally. Churn Urban Creamery is one in Portola, Ritual Coffee Roasters did that as well.

The third example where people organized programs where the public could buy coffee, pastries and products to be donated to healthcare and frontline workers. And that was, awesome, the perfect storm. It's driving sales to the business to keep them afloat; it's doing a good deed; the public is doing a good deed and it just creates some feel good marketing. I mean, it's just, a complete, win on every side.

And that's where Andytown did something that I've found was great, which is given a chance to the public to buy, not just Andytown products, but also, other products made here like Nana Joes. And I think you got, some good business out of it, because the program was just super popular.

Brewers are far sighted thankfully, they adapted super well and they seem to help each other  partnered on joint releases like Andytown helped Nana Joes, but, it's really a give and take, because it's always like this and overall we're super happy to see that manufacturers will stick together, help each other.

George: Thank you Pierre, that was great with what SFMade is trying to do, appreciate everything that you guys do. I am gonna make sure that, on our website and our listeners know how to contact SFMade and please stay safe out there in our new dystopian normal

Pierre: Thank you very much.

Episode Outro - Show Host George: That’s it for this episode of voices of the community. You have been listening to the voice of Pierre Coeurdeuil, Director of Advising & Education, at SFMade about the importance of supporting our local businesses especially during the Covid -19 pandemic and its very big impact on our local employers, employees and economy

In this past decade SFMade's work to develop and execute policies and infrastructure in cities to better support their manufacturing economies has led to the Bay Area Manufacturing Initiative which includes economic development leaders from 30 Bay Area Cities. To find out more about SFMade’s services go to SF Made dot org        

Series Outro: We hope that you enjoy the insights, points of view, and personal stories from the voices of change-makers and their nonprofits and small businesses featured in this series. To find out more and get engaged with the nonprofits, small businesses and staff members, featured in this series please go to my web site george koster dot com and click on Voices of the Community to find links to the extended versions of these interviews and to listen to the entire series. After listening to these stories we hope that you will consider making a donation and volunteering to provide a hand up to your fellow community members.

Series Credits: I want to thank my associate producer Eric Estrada, along with Mel, Michael, and Lila at the San Francisco Public Press and KSFP. To listen to our next episode in this series and to our archived past shows which feature community voices working on solutions to critical issues facing Northern California communities, please go to george koster dot com. While you are on our website please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one. Please subscribe to Voices of the Community on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts. Follow us on twitter @georgekoster and please email us with feedback and show ideas at george@georgekoster.com. I'm George Koster in San Francisco and thank you for listening.

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