• Sources and Sells South American and African artifacts – Also is a major source of southwestern Indian (Hopi and Navajo) jewelry and pottery.
• HQ is in Phoenix, Arizona but has offices in LA, Miami and Boston.
• Started as a trading post near Tucson, AZ in 1900’s – Established itself selling Indian artifacts. o Through the years, Fe’nix expanded the product line to include Columbian artifacts (from Peru and Venezuela), and tribal artifacts from Africa. o Reputable authentication process gives brand equity.
• 2001 – Fe’nix started selling replica artifacts. o Replicas would be indistinguishable from real thing – Collectors could tell the difference. o People in Central America, South America, Africa and southwest U.S. are now creating the replicas. o Replicas are a small portion of sales – Only got into the business because clients want it. o People who purchase are looking for gifts and decorative items.
• Gross Sales - $25M o Increasing 20% per year for the past decade. o Myron Rangard – Firm’s national sales manager – attributes increase in sales to popularity of the product line and the expanded distribution of SA and African artifacts.
 Product lines were featured in Christmas catalogs of department stores.
• Distribution – Through specialty dealers (including interior designers and decorators), firm sponsored showings, and a few department stores. o Often, Fe’nix is the sole supplier to many customers.
• African artifacts are not easy to get – Political reasons make supply limited. o Must search harder for artifacts and competition is increasing (tenfold). o Governments are not allowing certain exports due to “cultural significance”.
• Market o Had to find three new buyers in the past two years. o 5 years go there were five major competitors, now there are eleven. o David Olson – Director of Procurement – states that the GM has slipped