BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Feb. 22, 2018) — The Pink Lily Boutique announced today plans to double the footprint of their state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Bowling Green’s South Central Kentucky Industrial Park to more than 50,000 s.f. of office and industrial space. This project is a $2.05 million investment that will create up to 56 new jobs over the next five years.
Pink Lily, a local start-up, began operations as a Facebook Group in 2013 selling a limited selection of women’s boutique clothing and accessories to the Bowling Green market. Within the company’s first six months of operations, company owners Tori and Chris Gerbig knew product demand was quickly outgrowing fulfillment capacity and PinkLily.com was born in January 2014.
In the e-commerce site’s first year, sales doubled each month, growing from a projected $50,000 in revenue for the year to $4.1 million. By the end of year two, PinkLily.com would grow by 300 percent.
“We are excited to expand our growing business and bring more jobs to the Bowling Green area,” said Pink Lily President Chris Gerbig. “The additional space and employees will allow us to invest in the equipment and inventory necessary to meet the needs of our customers.”
Since operations began in 2013, Pink Lily has grown to include a flagship brick-and-mortar location on Scottsville Road in Bowling Green, with speculation of opening a second brick-and-mortar location soon. Their offerings have expanded from women’s and children’s clothing to include a custom design department where monogrammed items, embroidery, vinyl designs and screen-printed shirts are available for order.
Custom orders have been so successful, the company has invested nearly $100,000 in new equipment to expand their custom department and will launch spin-off site LeisureTees.com later this year. LeisureTees.com will specialize in graphic tees for men, women and children.
“The Pink Lily Boutique is a great example of entrepreneurial determination and success,” said Chamber President and CEO Ron Bunch. “South Central Kentucky is fortunate to be home to the global headquarters of such a great company that has grown from the ground up right here in our backyard. We look forward to their continued growth and success in Bowling Green and across the world.”
Pink Lily currently employs 45 people and will soon pass $50 million in total sales revenue. Their plan is to exceed $100 million in sales by the end of 2020. They are working with clothing manufacturers to add a Pink Lily branded line, to be sold exclusively under the brand’s umbrella.
Their current fulfillment center in Bowling Green ships over 1,000 products daily and has shipped over 1.5 million products since launching PinkLily.com in 2014. PinkLily.com sees an average of 25,000 visits per day.
“Pink Lily’s growth and success is impressive, to say the least,” said Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson. “In just a few short years, they have grown to be a nationally-recognized success. We are glad Pink Lily has been a part of Bowling Green’s unprecedented growth in recent years and will remain an important part of the community for many years to come.”
“Pink Lily has done a great job of capitalizing on opportunities to grow their state-of-the-art facility over the last four years,” said Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon. “Making Warren County home for not only their distribution and warehousing operations, but to their first brick-and-mortar store speaks volumes about doing business in our community and we are honored to continue to be their home as they grow across the globe.”
Pink Lily owners Tori and Chris Gerbig are both graduates of Western Kentucky University.
The Pink Lily Boutique is the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce’s second economic development project announcement for 2018, totaling $5.05 million in capital investment and 72 new jobs. For available job opportunities and additional information about Pink Lily, visit www.PinkLily.com.
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