By Ed Avis
The story sounds like a cliché: Guy on a plane strikes up a conversation with the guy in the next seat, talk turns to business, and by the time they land they’re partners in a new company. Only happens in the movies, right? Well, that’s pretty much how Go Fun Face, the newest NCA Vendor Member, got its start.
“I was flying back from the West Coast and sat next to this guy for six hours,” says Keith Fotta, a serial entrepreneur who is now managing partner of Go Fun Face. “I had just sold an IT company and was looking for my next gig.”
The guy on the plane with Fotta, who is now his partner, had come up with the concept of making 3D animal masks from sheets of foam.
“What struck me was the fact that they were all cut out of flat foam, and when they’re hand assembled they get that 3D quality,” Fotta says. “So I was intrigued. Two weeks later I flew to Texas and met with him again, and within two more weeks we were off to the races.”
Made in America
The company, which was founded in late 2017, initially tried to manufacture the masks in Mexico, but soon found that making them in Ft. Worth, Texas allowed for better quality control and led to quicker turnarounds. The factory employs about 25 people – the number goes up or down depending on demand – and the related processes, such as creating the dies to stamp the masks, are also handled locally.
“If you’re in Ft. Worth you can reach 99.9 percent of the U.S. in two days via first class mail,” Fotta says. “So from a distribution point of view it’s ideal. And there’s a good workforce, and we have complete control of the supply chain.”
The foam that is used to make the masks is created from recycled material as much as possible, Fotta says. This is an important issue for clients who value sustainability, such as zoos and aquariums.
Animal Shapes
The animal masks are lightweight and comfortable, ideal for animal lovers, sports fans, or kids playing make-believe. There are 21 designs ranging from an alligator to a shark to a wolf, each available in multiple color combinations.
New designs are regularly added. For example, recently a corporation asked Fotta to create a Sasquatch mask. He and his partners searched for images online, which they shared with the lead designer. The designer, who knows exactly how to turn an image into the multiple pieces of foam that ultimately make up a mask, made a few drawings and revised them until everyone was satisfied. Then they cut out the foam pieces by hand and created a prototype.
“Once the prototype is approved, we have the mechanical drawings professionally done and sent to the die manufacturer,” Fotta explains. “Each mask requires four or five dies.”
The completed dies are installed on the stamping equipment in the factory and soon the pieces are flying off the machine. They’re hand assembled, packaged and shipped all from the same location. Since everything is done right there, the company can go from an idea to finished product in just a few weeks, Fotta says.
Seeking Costume Shops
Go Fun Face joined the NCA because Fotta believes customers shopping at bricks-and-mortar costume shops would be eager to try on the fun animal masks the company offers. And because the masks are not necessarily just Halloween items, they can generate sales in other times of the year.
“We’re a year-around company,” Fotta says. “The whole goal is not to be a one-hit wonder in October.”
In addition to walk-in customers, NCA Buyer Members could potentially sell Go Fun Face products to local schools or cultural institutions. Fotta says they already sell masks to a number of schools that have one of the animals as a mascot. For about 50 cents each, the masks could even be stamped with a school’s logo.
Go Fun Face has joined the NCA Buyer’s Group and offers a 10 percent discount off the wholesale price. (Click here to access the entire 2021 Buyer’s Group.)
Fotta, whose previous companies were high-tech, says he’s enjoying the complete change of pace the costume industry provides.
“It’s so much fun. People are nice, and they’re engaging and don’t hold it against you if you’re a newbie in the industry,” he says. “It’s fun to do something that you can hold in your hand. It’s more rewarding than the other industries I’ve been in.”
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