SureShade picked an appropriate day for the grand opening of its new location.
Manufacturing Day takes place on the first Friday in October, and SureShade invited elected officials, city representatives, business partners and others to its new digs on Oct. 4.
SureShade, a manufacturer of boat and RV sunshades, has been in business for more than a decade. Its previous home was in three bays and 3,300 square feet on Damar Drive in Somerton.
Things are going so well for SureShade that it needed a larger location.
That larger location is at 12285 McNulty Road, Unit 108, just south of Southampton Road.
“I am so proud of our incredible team,” said co-owner Dana Russikoff. “We did not skip a shipment.”
Russikoff and her husband, Ron, run the company, and they cut the ribbon on their new space.
The new facility is 11,000 square feet, more than three times larger than the one on Damar Drive.
There is office space for sales, customer service, finance, marketing and administration. There is a conference room and space for product training and SureShade University service training.
And director of manufacturing Kirk Fistick led a tour of the facility where manufacturing, production, assembly and new product development and training takes place.
Emcee John McBride described SureShade as a former startup that is now setting the standard in the industry.
Its sunshades are available as a factory-installed option on nearly 200 boat models across 60 boat brands in 15 countries. If you Google “boat shade,” SureShade will appear first, after ads, images and videos.
When the economy took a downturn in 2008, McBride said, the Russikoffs saw it as an opportunity, not an obstacle.
McBride noted the continued growth of the company, pointing to March’s entry into the recreational vehicle market.
Ron Russikoff believes that one key to success is that the company’s on-time deliveries help bolster relationships with clients.
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle is impressed with the growth he’s seen from SureShade.
“That really is the essence of the American dream,” he said.
City Councilman Bobby Henon recalls when Philadelphia was known as the Workshop of the World. The councilman likes that the Russikoffs do it all – invent, design, produce, market – all with a vision and a dream that can’t help but encourage other entrepreneurs.
“You are leading by example,” he said.
Harold Epps, director of the city Department of Commerce, spent 30 years running manufacturing plants. He believes companies like SureShade are a big reason the U.S. has such a robust economy.
Others in attendance included state Reps. Mike Driscoll and Joe Hohenstein, Councilman Allan Domb and students and teachers from MaST Community Charter School.
Also, champion fisherman Grae Buck, of Harleysville, displayed his truck, complete with a SureShade pull-out product he uses as cover as he prepares for competitions. ••
