Marty's Bag Works

...not just bags anymore

All Sewn Up - Capital Gazette, 1999

 Bag maker has handle on sales!
 Martha B. Jordan started Marty's Bag Works out of necessity. In 1979, she was a single mother. She'd quit her job to spend time at home raising her son, Charlie.
"I started sewing bags at my house because it was just me and my son," said Mrs. Jordan, 53, "I was scared, 'I thought how am I going to pay the bills?'"
Twenty years later, Mrs. Jordan's fledgling enterprise is a successful business. Today, Mrs. Jordan has annual revenues of $500,000 and she is expanding her line again.
Next month, Marty's Bag Works will move from a 2.200-square-foot building in Edgewater into a 5,500-square-foot space on Pike Ridge Road, also in Edgewater.
Two decades ago, Mrs. Jordan had a job sewing sails at Ulmers Sail Makers in Eastport. Although the job didn't pay much, she learned the skills she'd need to be a successful manufacturer. After work, Mrs. Jordan would go home to sew handbags and tote bags, which she'd sell to friends and family.
Word spread around Eastport of the durable products she produced.
"People were always stopping by my house or calling to place an order," Mrs. Jordan said.
It was only a matter of time before she realized she could make more money working for herself. She pooled her savings and borrowed $5,000, and Marty's Bag Works was born.
What was a part time job became a 10-hour-a-day, six-day-a-week adventure.

 

 "You have to really be brave to start a business," Mrs. Jordan said. Her bravery paid off. By 1985, she had moved her one-sewing machine operation to a workshop with four machines in Eastport.
Today, the business includes her husband Ron, whom she married in 1982, Charlie and four employees.
Her customer base remains largely walk-ins and boat owners. Occasionally, the Naval Academy will order some canvases. But work is never scarce at the Bag Works, and there is a three- to five-month back log.

Explaining her success, Mrs. Jordan said she unwittingly caught the start of a fashion trend. "I guess I just never realized the demand for soft-type luggage and soft bags would be so great."

Mrs. Jordan said major retailers quickly caught on to the trend. Canvas bags like hers quickly became a staple at major retailers like Hecht's and Kmart.

To stay competitive, she relies on custom service and keeps a small stock of ready-made bags in the front of her store.

She also silkscreens bag and sews custom slipcovers for lawn chairs and boating furniture. One of her most profitable services is monogramming.

"Boat Owners come in, wanting a sail sew up or something, they see we don monogramming and voila! They want their pillows, hats, towels and bags monogrammed with the boat's name on it," Mrs. Jordan said. 

Mrs. Jordan also said networking has been part of her success. In 1980, she joined the local chapter of the American Business Women Associations. "Every time I went to a convention I got more business," she said.

During her 19-year membership in the chapter, Mrs. Jordan has served as vice president and president of the organization.

She is also the current vice presiden of the Chesapeake Marine Canvas Fabrication Association Inc. and is part of the Silver Triangle Ruritan Club.

Mrs. Jordan said joining those kinds of organizations 'lets you get to know your suppliers better and increases your orders. You can always find help when you're a part of something."