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>Morgan Li "rebranded" in 2009.
Growing Into, Growing With
At the same time that Morgan Marshall started its push into fabricating big, warehouse-like shelving for clients, two of Morgan Marshall’s earliest clients—Lowe’s and Walmart—were on the brink of change. 1987 gave birth to the first Walmart Supercenter. Lowe’s moved from small stores to warehouse stores in 1989.
This started a way of operating that lives with us to this day—growing into a client and growing with them. In the mid-90s, a then-unknown apparel retailer chose Morgan Marshall. A few short years later, Old Navy became the fastest retailer to reach a billion in sales, and helped Morgan Marshall grow to nearly $100 million in revenue.
A Decade of Change
A late 90s acquisition, and an early 2000s sale left Morgan Marshall operating under the banner of a global conglomerate.
But things still looked good. A third generation of the fixture family—Jonathan Rosenband—was learning the trade. The facility began to innovate with the launch of Bri*design, a customized manufacturer of metal and wood furnishing products. The facility was responsible for more than $100 million in revenue for its parent—until a cold November day in 2007.
As talks of recession stirred, the conglomerate in charge eyed an exit, selling off the product line made at the facility. But this left an opportunity. And a few hundred thousand square feet of unused space still under the ownership of the Rosenband family.
2009: Morgan Li
What do you get when you combine a few hundred thousand square feet of unused production space, a retiring professional soccer player, and the biggest retailer of its time? A new beginning.
An Unexpected Rebirth
Though he may not have initially planned for a life in the manufacturing world, a then-29-year-oldAndy Rosenband was about to take on the family business. A sixth-round pick out of The Ohio State University in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Andrew “Lil’ Shush” Rosenband spent the 2000s in the Dallas Burn and Chicago Fire systems while making 123 appearances in the Major Indoor Soccer League.
Following late career appearances representing his country in the FIFA Futsal World Cup and Maccabiah Games, Andy began looking for a new challenge. A challenge that came in the form of a 2008 phone call from Bentonville, Arkansas.
Walmart, a long time Morgan Marshall client, was looking for a partner with the capabilities to refurbish their in-store fixtures. With a healthy push from Jon and Phil, articles of incorporation under the name Morgan Li, and the help of one other employee, the facility at 16th street was once again operational.
At the start, it was just Andy and one other employee at the massive facility—and a return to manufacturing was still a ways away. But with the elbow grease, connections, and damn good work, Morgan Li was on its way.
A Return & New Vision
The fixture refurbishment game was lucrative, and Morgan Li was among the best in the business. Continued work with Walmart, new business with old and new connections, and a ton of hard work got the company through the first years. But things were about to take off.
Jonathan, a rising star in the fixture world, was back, and with his return came a bigger vision. Morgan Li was getting back into the fabrication and manufacturing game. But this time, things looked a bit different.
Understanding the challenges and opportunities in the retail space, Andy and Jon saw retail spaces moving from bland to bold—and reshaped Morgan Li to fill the gap.
Customization was a hot trend—and Morgan Li found itself both nimble and scalable enough to do the job. Between the Chicago-based “Morgan” and global operations from “Li,” clients received a unique blend of customization and scale.