Pegasus Cases
Last updated | 25/04/2007
Sam Gifford, the founder and sole employee of Pegasus Cases, a company that specialises in making custom-built instrument cases for professional musicians.
Mr Gifford established his firm 12 years ago, basing it in the quiet farmhouse he bought after a decade as a session musician. A former stable was converted into a workshop where he began honing his craft and selling his products across the globe.
The cases are unique, made to the specifications of each customer out of fibreglass and utilising upholstery techniques not used by any other case making company anywhere. Prices can reach up to £350 per item but he only makes 4-5 cases a month, preferring to maintain quality over quantity.
Relying entirely on word-of-mouth to publicise his business, the first few years were slow, but he was able to make several trips abroad to music festivals to promote the company, paid for by Perth and Kinross Economic Development Unit.
"They've sent me to America 3 times", Mr Gifford said. "I've been able to go to places like Louisville and Nashville, where I sell a lot of cases, and to the International Bluegrass Music Association Festival where I can meet my existing customers and get new ones."
"These trips are really important to my company. I missed one last October and my sales went down. I'm not a businessman, I'm a guitar case maker and I can honestly say if it wasn't for the Economic Development Unit, Pegasus Cases wouldn't be here.
"Those trips to the States also helped Mr Gifford learn the skill behind selling his wares on the web. Around 4 years ago, he launched www.pegasus-cases.com, which is now responsible for almost every order he takes.
The site makes it easier for customers to buy a product. Using it, they can browse the catalogue, make a selection and email their needs to Mr Gifford's computer, kept at the back of his workshop.
"Emails are better than phone calls," he explained. "With a telephone you have to make a call just to see if anyone's in, but an email can be replied to instantly. I can make a sale in 2 emails because it's just a better flow of communication.
"The website's existence makes Pegasus Cases' remote location largely irrelevant and orders now come in from the US, Australia, Japan and mainland Europe."
He commented: "I should really be in Nashville, where the heart of my business is, but I have responsibilities here and you can't match it aesthetically. Besides, things are ticking over nicely and I'm considering hiring someone else and perhaps taking up some trade stalls at an exhibition next year.
"I'm happy to keep the business small and work to my capacity. Right now, Pegasus Cases' reputation is at the top of the pile and I intend to keep it there."
