our company mascot

Friendly.. What is a mascot company, without a mascot. We have Friendly he is called that because our tag line is “ Performer friendly mascots“. We wanted a mascot to show fun, and friendship. Our logo has a dog in it and he was based on that. We use him at trade shows, parades, and community events. Matthew has to wear him or someone taller. I am only short 5’2 so he looks funny on me, more like a wrinkles dog. We have a fan system inside, and ice vest, so we are comfortable in the hot summers we get here. He stands in our entrance way on a stand, greeting people as they come in to the shop.

Karens view

Karen Dollmont I started out working in the foot department at a mascot company in 1991. How I was hired, I will never know. Matthew did the job interview. He handed me a chunk of foam, and a sculpted foot and said he wanted the chunk to look like the finished product, and walked away. I did it, but it looked no where as good as his. I asked him how he got it so smooth, and he just laughed, and said, "oh, you need a new blade and oil". I hit him and called him a bad word…. I really wanted the job and this guy was not helping me. I had no idea he was the one who decided if I was to get the job, or I wouldn’t have hit him… Well maybe I would have! I have never let him forget it to this day… He tells me to get over it sister!… We are like brother and sister fighting, but love each other at the same time… That is a great partnership. I was there for a few years, when a co-worker, Barb asked me to join with her in starting our own company. I jumped right in, then learned the business as I went. Not a smart way to get going, but it shortens the learning curve when you are under pressure to get a pay check. Long story short, we were in business for 12 years. My husband Ken got cancer, and after a two year battle with cancer, he passed away. I needed to get away and change my life. I sold my shares to the company to Barb, and became a beach bum for a year, doing a lot of meditation, yoga, and self discovery. I took a year off from work. In that time, Barb decided she didn’t want to continue on, so she closed the doors to our shop. I guess her shop. I was approached by my old staff to start up again, and after much debate, decided to do it again. I love mascots and the joy they bring people, as well as the self satisfaction of owning a business. I started out contacting old clients, making new contacts, and ran into my friend Matthew. We talked, and I filled him in on what I was doing. We used to work together in 1991, and after I started my other company we stayed in touch. He was excited for me. I asked him if he wanted to be a business partner. We compliment each other. I have dyslexia so spelling is a problem for me. He is skilled in every aspect of making a mascot, and I am skilled in the business end. Our staff are very lucky to have a talent like Matthew to teach them how to make mascots. We went from good mascots to great mascots when he came aboard. Now Matthew is in the office, as well as training staff, and some production. I stay in the front and work with the art department, sales, and marketing end. We have just moved into a new shop with over 4,000 sq. feet and front offices. We are growing at a steady rate as word spreads of our skill and service,which is much needed in this industry.

Matthews Point of view

Matthew AlexanderMarketing Director & Production Manager and Administration Manager & Production worker! I started making mascots in the summer of '85! Wow, I am old! I was looking for a summer job before I went back to school for my second year of a Graphic Design diploma from Grant MacEwan college. I finished school, and went back to making mascots fulltime for a local company. Over the next 20 years I worked doing mascots, and in between started a few different businesses, with varying degrees of success. I guess I have always been an entrepreneur at heart- you just keep on going, even when things don't work out as you would like. I had a company making props for stores, and I also had a company making soap. We actually sold soap in a few different countries, so that was pretty cool! I also did men's clothing design for a few years, and sold to local shops. I met my current business partner, Karen Dollmont (Dullmutt, her nickname!!) when I worked at the local mascot company back in 1991. I was in charge of training, and it was my job to give Karen a test to see if she would be a suitable employee. Apparently, (according to her) I gave her a dull knife to sculpt some foam. She said she was having some problems, and I said, "Oh, you probably need a new blade". Well, she wasn't too impressed, and hits me and calls me a jerk! I couldn't believe it!! It was pretty ballsy for someone looking for a job to say that! I guess I was impressed, because I told my boss to hire her! Anyway, we worked together for a couple of years, and kept in touch over the years. I hadn't talked to her for a couple of years after her husband passed away, and out of the blue she calls me up! I was pretty shocked to hear from her. She said she was starting another mascot company, and wanted me to be her business partner. It has been very interesting owning a mascot company. There are a lot of things I find rewarding about it. Making mascots is interesting, taking care of the administrative end is also satisfying. I love marketing as well. It's fun to talk to new clients. Working with Karen has been great. We are a lot alike, and also very different. We have our disagreements too!! We have been in business for almost 2 years, have moved into a great facility, and now have staff. We are looking forward to growing in the future.