Akasha Crystals has come a long ways since Adam Kasha started selling decorative glass and stone products for home decor from the back of his car as a student at the University of Michigan.
That was in 1988, when he took a $5,000 loan from his parents and paid his rent late to go into business. Today, Akasha Crystals, soon to become Akasha US Inc., is a $20 million company, growing and moving into One North Main building in downtown Ann Arbor. The new space is meant to serve as the launching pad for some big growth.
"It's really time for us to spread our wings," Kasha says. "We have been building up and now is the time."
The company, which sells decorative glass and stone products to the likes of Target and Pier 1 Imports, employs about 20 people, has a separate Chinese arm and uses three third-party warehouses in Ann Arbor, Dexter and California. It will occupy the entire third floor of the One North Main Building, along with some extra storage space on the fourth floor.
This is the first time One North Main, 101 N Main St, has been full. The 11-story high-rise has gone through a number of owners since it was built in 1989. The mixed-use building houses retail space on the first floor, office space on the middle levels, and residential overlooking the corner of Main Street and Huron Avenue above that.
Akasha Crystals was already located in downtown and had three showrooms spread across the area. The move to One North Main allows it to unify its products into one showroom, along with conference rooms and offices for each employee. Akasha Crystals expects to grow into the space as it marches toward becoming a $50 million firm within the next few years.
"We could double the staff of the company," Kasha says.
Source: Adam Kasha, president and founder of Akasha Crystals
Writer: Jon Zemke
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