How We Started Our Rubber Stamp Company

We often show off our customers and how they use their custom rubber stamps. But we rarely get a chance to tell our story. As we kick off a new year, we wanted to take a second and tell you a little more about us, our beginnings, and where we are now. The following is an interview with our founder, Maryellen Lewandowksi. In 1993, Maryellen and her husband, Bill, purchased The StampMaker and have been running it ever since, focusing on cultivating a team environment and crafting the highest quality stamps.

How did you get started in the stamp industry?

I was working in a family-owned business in the automotive industry in Detroit and decided I loved being an entrepreneur and wanted to do something on my own. I looked at several existing businesses to purchase and thought the rubber stamp business was a great opportunity that I could expand and, mostly, afford! My husband and I sold our home to purchase the business in 1993. Then, we purchased a bungalow in downtown Plymouth, Michigan. We ran the business out of the first floor and lived above it for three years when we first started!

What were the early years of The StampMaker like?

In the early years, it was my husband and I with just one additional employee. We were a local business selling retail and wholesale. As small business owners, we had to do everything from sales, to making the stamps, to delivering the stamps locally!

Is there a specific moment that was a turning point for The StampMaker?

The turning point in the business was in 1995 when we jumped on this trend called the “World Wide Web”! We established an early presence on the web, and it has helped us ever since! We are now a recognized name in the stamp world!

How would you describe The StampMaker now?

I describe us as a big fish in a small pond. There are not a lot of remaining rubber stamp companies left and our ecommerce strength has kept us going. We are a small stamp family, and we love what we do! Although we manufacture and ship thousands of stamps, we are still a small business and act like it in the ways we treat our employees, pick up the phone on the first ring for our customers, and guarantee quality products.

How would you describe The StampMaker team?

We have an incredibly loyal and amazing team! We like to listen to what they have to say and how they would like to do things and implement their changes whenever possible. We are small enough that everyone knows that they may have to step in and do someone else’s job just to get things done sometimes. It really is a great team environment. We try to offer the same benefits our team members would get working in a larger company but with the feel of a small business being run in a small town.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

We give back to the community in a few different ways. We have supported several local charities throughout the years including Mittens for Detroit, Detroit Dog Rescue, and Detroit Cristo Rey. In 2023, we were a Kids Camp Sponsor for New Hope Center for Grief Support, a charity near and dear to my heart. We also supported Angel’s Place, which runs homes for developmentally disabled adults.

As we move forward, we hope to continue to support our customers, our team and our community!