Ron Nissenbaum reflects on Humphrys' 150 years - Specialty Fabrics Review

Features, Perspective | September 1, 2024 | By: Holly Eamon

With early but short-lived career aspirations of becoming a sports broadcaster, Ron “Boots” Nissenbaum instead built a 56-year career providing a different type of coverage—several types, in fact. As CEO of Humphrys, Nissenbaum oversees three separate Philadelphia, Pa.,-based companies under the Humphrys umbrella and a fourth recent acquisition:

“I like to say canvas is in my DNA—it’s always been in the cards for me,” says Nissenbaum, whose father, Nate, purchased Humphrys in 1948. Founded in 1874 as a wagon cover and awning manufacturer, Humphrys had passed through two generations of family ownership at that point—a tradition Nissenbaum has continued.

The Nissenbaums’ connection to canvas dates back to 1929, when Nate founded a small textile business providing canvas drop cloths and tarps—products Humphrys had also incorporated by the time he purchased it.

Although Nissenbaum grew up with an interest in his father’s business, he didn’t become an employee until 1968, after working during summer breaks while attending American University in Washington, D.C.

“I went right back to work after I graduated, and my dad was thrilled. The idea that the business he started would continue with his son was a really big deal,” Nissenbaum recalls—and he understands the feeling well. His son, Zak, joined Humphrys as a sales representative in 2003 and is now president of the company. By 2010, Nissenbaum’s two daughters were also on board—Shana, now vice president of sales and marketing, and Jamie, vice president of purchasing.

“I couldn’t be prouder as a father and as a business owner. They’ve made a huge difference in helping us grow by improving process efficiencies and quality assurance. Plus, they all get along and are a great team,” Nissenbaum says.

Today, Humphrys has 175 employees and 160,000 square feet of facility space. It is one of Philadelphia’s 10 oldest continuously operating businesses and one of the city’s five largest manufacturing employers. “I’m excited about where we are today and where we’ll be in the future,” says Nissenbaum, who remembers being one of just 15 employees when he first started. “My motto has always been that ‘slow and steady wins the race,’ so we have grown slowly and carefully, taking risks when appropriate.”

His approach to combining tried-and-true tactics from the past with modern methodologies has proven to be a winning strategy, especially in three key areas: equipment, marketing and relationship building.

“Continually investing in the latest equipment has been essential to our success,” Nissenbaum says. “Whether it’s for sealing, sewing or digital printing, we ensure our employees have the best tools for getting quality work out the door as quickly as possible. Looking at the payback over the years, this has set Humphrys apart from several competitors.”

Nissenbaum often uses a roofing analogy to drive home his point: “Not investing in equipment is like being a roofer who only uses nails and a hammer instead of nail guns. You have to shift your business as the industry shifts, or you’ll be left behind.”

Humphrys also has strategically invested time and money into digital marketing efforts to augment the connections made through more traditional channels such as trade shows and customer referrals. “We use a lot of pay-per-click advertising for generating leads for all our divisions. And while we have a marketing director, we outsource help as needed to determine what is and isn’t working. You can’t just throw money at Google or Facebook; you have to learn and understand what gets you click-throughs. To stay on top of these leads, Salesforce has been a tremendous tool in helping us stay organized.”

Nissenbaum also points to his company websites as a source of leads—and pride. It requires an additional investment to ensure the team has the necessary resources to implement top SEO tactics and visually engaging content, but “your website is the front door to your business,” he says. “If it doesn’t look great and isn’t easy to use, what does that say to a customer? You want it to impress them immediately.”

Even with the latest technology, Nissenbaum emphasizes people as the primary force behind Humphrys’ ongoing expansion. “My father instilled in me that when it comes to customers, there is nothing like personal contact. And that’s the truth still today.”

Nissenbaum spent many of his early years at the company traveling to meet with customers and potential customers, selling products and building relationships. “I knew every paint store from Buffalo, N.Y., to Norfolk, Va.,” he recalls. “People don’t have time for or interest in that today, but they still want to do business with people they like doing business with—people they have a relationship with. Everything being equal, if a customer likes you, there’s a good chance that they’ll continue to buy your products.”

Continuing the tradition of face-to-face meetings, Zak and his leadership team schedule time to visit with customers at annual trade shows and make special visits to larger customers when new products are available. They also regularly check in virtually throughout the year.

Equally if not more important is building and strengthening relationships with employees. Inspired by Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, which highlights common practices among the most successful businesses, Nissenbaum has focused on “getting the right people on the bus and getting them in the right seats.” In other words, when an employee is in a role where they’re most effective and excited to be, they will work on delivering the best possible results.

“We want our employees to be happy, so we offer a strong benefits package, pay above-average wages and promote from within as much as possible so people can build a career here,” Nissenbaum says. “We have very little turnover because we treat people as we would want to be treated.”

Above all, Nissenbaum points to one piece of advice that was shared with him years ago: Know your costs. “A business consultant once told me, ‘Your worst competitor is the one who doesn’t know their costs.’ That has stuck with me more than anything else. You have to know your margins. Or you simply won’t last.”

As Humphrys celebrates 150 years in 2024, Nissenbaum and his team welcome competition with open arms. “We like the challenge; it motivates us to raise our standards and become a leader in our product areas. That’s why I’m still here at 77—I enjoy the work. I see the fruits of my labor, of my father’s labor, of my children’s labor, and I know it’s going to continue after I’m gone. What could be better than that?”

Holly Eamon is a business writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minn.

Photography by HKB Photo

In 2019, Humphrys CoverSports manufactured a 170-foot FieldSaver® rain tarp using 8-ounce white PVC fabric to protect the Washington Nationals’ field during rain delays—that’s a quarter of an acre of fabric. Still in use today, the tarp was paid for by the Skittles candy brand, a Nationals advertiser. Humphrys custom-printed the candymaker’s logo onto the tarp using UV inks. Start to finish, the entire process took two weeks.

“Think about the number of eyes on that branded tarp when there’s a rain delay,” says Ron Nissenbaum, Humphrys CEO. “We’re trying to promote this angle with more customers—having the advertiser pay for the cover. There’s a bit of an education barrier with teams’ marketing departments, but we’re excited about the possibilities.”

Your businesses cover several sectors across the textile industry. What area of growth or change are you particularly excited about?

Digital printing keeps us on our toes because the technology is changing all the time. We are looking at printing equipment that is faster, more sophisticated and more expensive so that we can more easily upgrade consistently. That’s where you really need to be on top of your game. We also go to the [Advanced Textiles Expo] show every year to see if there’s any new production equipment or fabrics we should know about.

Industrial sign printing and large-format digital printing on fabric are our biggest growth areas right now. Everybody wants their sports fields branded—and everybody wants it yesterday. So we have grown our in-house graphics department to half a dozen people who design graphics all day, every day. The business is constant—and we’re happy to have it.

Share this Story

Reusable medical textiles are finding wider use in medical facilities.

Third generation manages Charnecke Tents

Exterior fabric graphics industry creates own opportunities

Textiles that float return astronauts, research and more safely to Earth

Animal medical textiles: A market on the move

Textile recycling confronts hurdles of cost, scalability