It started as a small-time family affair; now it’s a multi-million dollar business …
The product? Custom license plates.
We’re sure you’ve come across a variety of funny, witty, or other unique license plate titles as you’re cruising down the highway. These occurrences often bring a chuckle or a smile to our face, but for Jerome Bulkan, this phenomenon sparked a business idea.
Founder of Custom License Plates, Jerome and his brother, Andy, has reached million-dollar status manufacturing custom plates for over 140 countries and 90 states. Their clients include anyone from average auto enthusiasts to renowned motion picture studios.
But what sets the brother’s business apart is its continuous personalized service. Back in 2003, Custom License Plates became the first eCommerce store to allow shoppers to customize their license plates online and review the customization before adding to the shopping cart—a big feat for the early 2000’s.
Operating a successful business for over 20 years is no small achievement. Securing high-end customers like RM Sotheby’s and the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation didn’t happen overnight, and both Jerome and Andy had to learn their fair share of do’s and don’t’s to get where they are today. So, here’s how they’ve made it this far.
The Backstory of Custom License Plates, aka Euro Sign
Though Custom License Plates officially launched in 2003, Jerome’s initial idea for selling custom license plates began back in the summer of 1986. Jerome was on the hunt for a German license plate for his new car. After struggling to find any plates within the country, he contacted his family friend residing in Hamburg, Germany.
Consequently, Jerome had discovered he wasn’t the only one searching for German license plates. “Our unscientific research found there was quite a good demand for German license plates in South Florida,” explains Jerome to Starter Story. “So rather than purchasing just a few German license plates for personal use, I flew with my brother Andy to Hamburg, West Germany.”
After having a hands-on lesson on how to customize German license plates, the Bulkan brothers saw a prime business opportunity and quickly returned home to launch their custom European license plate business, Euro Sign.
Since there was no existing bank that agreed to finance this unique business venture, Jerome and Andy had to fund Euro Sign on their own. The initial phase of the business was by no means luxurious. “Euro Sign’s office was my bedroom, and our parents’ garage was a manufacturing location,” continues Jerome. However, the brothers stuck with their idea and used what money and materials they had to spread the word about the company.
Spreading the Word …
In the 1980s, there weren’t a lot of digital marketing options, so Jerome and Andy stuck with more old-fashioned tactics. The brothers embarked on door-to-door marketing, leaving “simple but elegant monochrome leaflets” at auto accessory stores and tuning shops, detailing Euro Sign’s contact information and order instructions.
“By the Christmas season of 1987, we were up all night manufacturing orders for local delivery—with 94% placed by auto accessory retailers,” comments Jerome. The company began offering more assorted license plate colors, which also helped increase sales.
In 1989, after attending the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Trade Show in Las Vegas, Euro Sign drew interest from retailers all over the country, and customers began placing larger, more frequent orders.
Then, by 2001, Jerome and Andy decided to step up their license place game and ventured into online sales. After attracting attention from both European and US-based customers, the brothers changed their company name from Euro Sign to Custom License Plates.
Transitioning to an Online Business
In 2002, Custom License Plates officially went online, and the Bulkan brothers were astonished a the company’s success. Custom License Plates now had a full-fledged eCommerce store where shoppers could customize their license plates, review and place them into their cart.
Offering custom license plates with spot-on fonts, correct colors and hues, accurate layouts, and free shipping to all USA addresses, Custom License Plates become profitable almost immediately.
Additionally, the market for custom license plates was virtually untapped, giving Jerome and Andy an advantage. “We were lucky that in the early days, the online competition was negligible. So our SEO and content creation team uploads would get tagged on Google quite fast,” states Jerome.
Throughout the following decade, the eCommerce arena experienced massive growth, as many businesses saw the profit in establishing an online presence. With this shift came a bit of a learning curve for the Bulkan brothers, but the duo quickly adjusted and learned what worked and didn’t work for the company.
“Back in 2003, all your website needed was SSL and secure payment gateway, like Authorize.net. In 2021, the requirements have increased, and this adds to cost,” explains the Custom License Plates founder. As consumer demands and trends began changing, so did Jerome and Andy’s business strategies. Suddenly, the brothers had to develop new tactics to meet these industrial changes.
Fortunately, due to the uniqueness of their product, Bulkan’s business experienced very few hiccups along the way. And what’s more, they’ve expanded even further, manufacturing plates for over 140 countries and over 90 states and provinces.
The Ingredients to Success
“It’s possible to have a great eCommerce site and good SEO rankings, but with a poor product, your sales will be awful,” continues Jerome. “Genuine product differentiation must be your core decision for venturing online.”
Not many small businesses can say they’ve stayed steadily successful for over 30 years, but the Bulkan brothers have earned that bragging right. Though their journey to success has posed several challenges, hard work and dedication to their brand have helped Custom License Plates reach multi-million dollar status.
Now, the brothers have tater a loyal consumer base of car enthusiasts, automotive museums, high-end automobile auctioneers, and even motion picture studios in Hollywood, California, Canada, and the UK.