Made in Central Florida: Rifle Paper Co.
WINTER PARK, Fla. - Along the charming cobblestone street of West New England Avenue in Winter Park, you will find Rifle Paper Company. Celebrating nearly 15 years in business, Anna Bond will be the first to tell you, she and her husband, Nathan, started from humble beginnings.
"Sort of out of necessity. We would say there’s nowhere to go but up for us because he was in a band, and we were just scraping by. And decided there was nothing really like our artwork in the industry," Bond explained.
Living in the garage apartment of the in-laws, the pair used the money they made from making custom wedding invitations to create their very first line of stationery products. The business has grown quickly and has a massive online presence. Known for their bright colors and hand-painted designs, if you are not familiar with them by name, odds are, you have probably seen one of their designs somewhere.
Alyssa Porrello took us on a tour of the Winter Park headquarters as she showcased, "This is our card wall and these were actually locally made here in the area as well. And what you can see is a little bit of all of our different cards. So we have birthday, thank-you, every occasion you can think of really."
You name it, they probably have it. From purses to mugs, planners, and cell phone cases, the company even partners with other local businesses, like Corkcicle, which was also featured in FOX 35’s "Made in Central Florida" series.
"We wanted it to grow. Wanted to make something out of it, but we had no idea what it would become," Bond said. Rifle Paper Company now employs 135 people across its headquarters in Winter Park, the warehouse in Maitland, and its New York creative studio.
While there was no way Anna could have predicted the amount of success she and her husband would have achieved running Rifle Paper Company, she takes nothing for granted and hopes that her designs spark joy and leave the world a better place than they found it. She added, "Our mission is to bring a little bit of beauty to the everyday. So all the color, the florals, the illustrations are really meant to bring a little bit of happiness, a little bit of color into your life."
If you are interested in last-minute ideas for Mother’s Day, Rifle Paper Company is hosting a special event on Saturday, May 13th including a flower bar by Pick Me Up Flower Truck for custom bouquets. The event will be from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Rifle Paper Company, 558 New England Ave. No. 150, Winter Park, FL 32789.