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Ame and Lulu was founded by Amye Kurson and is now co- run with her brother Rob. The company provides accessories for athletic females. The products range from bags, head covers, and pouches to pet supplies and children’s apparel. Based in Massachusetts, Ame and Lulu has become a common name in athletic retail and appeals especially to women in thehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Collegewritingproj/Sandbox&action=editir twenties. This company has gear for women involved in a variety of sports, such as: golf, yoga, and tennis. With a preppy and fun flair, Ame and Lulu provides practical and fashionable merchandise to many women in the United States.

Amye and Rob Kurson
Amye Kurson, thirty four, was born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts. She has two brothers, one of which, Robert, is her Ame and Lulu business partner. Both siblings attended Beaver Country Day School in the Boston area. Even in high school, Kurson was interested in clothing and retail, maintaining a job in the school store. Amye Kurson continued her education at Union College where she studied psychology and English. Rob Kurson studied economics at Colgate University where he received his MBA. He had plans to make the family business successful. After graduation, she moved to New York and began working in advertising, holding a position at J. Walter Thompson, an advertising company, as a media buyer, but returned to Boston after a few years. Back in Boston, Kurson worked for Mullen Advertising Agency, a network broadcasting group, becoming the Director of National Broadcast Media. . Both siblings began their post- college careers in advertising. Rob Kurson is described as soft- spoken with a “meticulous and detail- oriented” personality. He is talented with numbers and takes care of the financial burdens of the business. He describes his sister as a “go- getter.” Amye is said to have always had an interest in “odd jobs”, but has now created and runs a successful business branching from her personal interest in golf, fashion, and retail.

Ame and Lulu’s Foundation
Ame and Lulu was founded by Amye Kurson in 2003 shortly after she developed her first golf headcover prototype. Kurson saw that the field of athletics had a plethora of stylish clothing available, but accessories, such as headgear and bags, were sorely lacking (Ame and Lulu). Kurson explains, "I was at a tournament with my mom six years ago, and there were all these very fashionable ladies decked out in their outfits. You could see all their carts lined up, and there were no cute head covers. And I thought, if these ladies couldn't find them, there must not be that option". In 2002, Kurson began formulating her own ideas for stylish and practical head covers, taking inspiration from her mother’s old tartan head cover which later served as the prototype for Ame and Lulu’s original product. When asked how she jumpstarted Ame and Lulu by FOX during an interview, Kurson responded, “We started really small and it doesn’t cost that much money to start a business. It’s about the idea and moving forward with it. . . I used my own money”. Kurson stressed the concept of developing an idea until it is feasible and you find success. Ame and Lulu manufactures all of its products in the United States. Kurson explained the breakthrough for her company occurred because “The first thing we did was we showed people the product and they had really great feedback, then we went down to the PGA golf show where everyone who’s in the gold industry would showcase there and there was great feedback from the product, and some magazines picked it up and we were in Style right away”. Her company was greeted by immediate interest and promise due to its originality in the athletic world and appeal to young women. She says that intrigue spread to potential buyers and customers through “word of mouth”.

Kurson began by zealously investigating and experimenting with fabrics. She has created designs for shoe bags, tee bags, and golf belts. As demand for products continues to grow, Kurson expands, designs, and personalizes the company’s merchandise. In 2010, Ame and Lulu expanded the realm of athletic accessories once more when they launched their baby, pet, and home collections.

Kurson left Mullen Advertising in 2005 when Ame and Lulu was stabilized and had reached comfortable notability. Her apartment in Audubon Circle remains the headquarters for the company. Her brother serves as her business partner and they employ an office manager and several interns. Rob Kurson continues to be chief financial executive while Amye is in charge of design, marketing, and sales. Amye’s rat terrier, Winston, serves as the company mascot.

Products
Ame and Lulu products are available online and in various boutiques, tennis shops and country clubs across the United States. Ame & Lulu products are also featured at various trade shows and expos each year (Ame and Lulu). “Ame & Lulu has doubled its sales every year since its launch in 2003” and has expanded its patterns and products at the beginning of each season. There were several additions added to the 2010 collection such as The Winston Dog Collection, and stain- and water-repellent fabrics for a variety of accessories.

Golf Collection: Headcovers, Signature Shoebag, Carry All, Drawstring Shoebag, Golf Tee Bag, 3 Ball Holder, Key Chain, Golf Belt. Tennis Collection: Tennis Backpack, Tennis Tote, Racquet Cover. Yoga Collection: Yoga Bag, Yoga Mat Carrier. Travel & Lifestyle: Getaway Combo, Overnight Duffle, Weekend Duffel, Toiletries Bag, Jewelry Clutch, Makeup Case, Pencil Brush Case, Signature Cosmetic Bag, Wet Bathing Suit Bag, Lingerie Bag. Totes & Bags: City Tote, Everyday Tote, Beach Bag. Gifts & Accessories: Tote Insert, Coin Purse, Card Holder, Luggage Tags, Leather Paperweight. Home Collection: Throw Pillows. Corporate: Tournament Gifts & Branded Products.

Success
Since starting the business in 2005, Kurson has enlarged the range of products from golf accessories, to tennis and yoga accessories and other products for active lifestyles; including, travel accessories and trendy everyday products for women. There are also products for children (a diaper bag and a junior tennis tote), and the new Winston Collection, which was launched in 2010 for pets. The company's products are now in pro shops and boutiques in all 50 states and as far away as Australia and Japan. Kurson and her co-partner Rob have a full-time office manager, about a dozen interns, and hundreds of boxes for numerous orders that need to be filled for shipping. At the company’s current rate, they send out about 40 shipments each day to clients. About 10% of orders are placed through the company’s website which contains visuals of all the products and patterns. A typical order could range from a monogrammed makeup case to nearly 400 shoe bags, tee bags, and duffel bags, for a women's golf event hosted by NBC. Ame and Lulu retailers range from high-end boutiques and pro shops to resorts, clubs and corporations, who order custom products with their logos for prizes, souvenirs, and gifts. “With gross sales doubling annually, Ame and Lulu, whose products are all hand-made in the U.S., may soon be in the market for proper office space,” possibly even a warehouse which would be a huge upgrade in space from the current workplace in Kurson’s Brookline apartment. To stay on top of current and upcoming fashion trends Kurson browses through fashion publications, “and tries to keep ahead of the fickle fashion curve while remaining true to her brand’s preppy roots”. Kurson travels across the country to work sporting good trade shows, collaborate with local firms to design photo shoots for the company’s products, and uses her best salesmanship to persuade magazine editors to feature her products. Amye and Rob Kurson work around the clock in order to keep on succeeding. Each season their patterns are changing and they are offering new products to their large network of customers.