Red Dog Designs Ready to Make its Mark on Haddon Ave.

Count Mindy Leher among those Collingswood residents whose small businesses are making the jump from cottage industry to the downtown commercial district.

After ten years, Red Dog Designs, the branding studio Leher began out of her Collingswood home, is moving into the 500 block of Haddon Avenue, next to Elegant Star Boutique.

"We wanted to be more a part of the community," Leher said. "This storefront gives us an advantage to have a presence."

With retail space, a meeting area, and a workshop in the back, the new location will give the pair more flexibility as well as the chance of walk-in business.

"People can come in and see the things they purchase," Jen Hilgenberg, Leher's business partner, said. "Custom logos, apparel, stuff in bulk, designed shirts, glassware."

Hilgenberg said she is excited to have a space in which to meet clients "in a more professional but still laid-back atmosphere," which office dog Cova, the red dog in Red Dog Designs, plays a critical role in establishing.

Leher says her tagline, "customization with character," explains her desire to help clients develop not just a clever giveaway but "something that you love and that’s meaningful."

The duo have designed custom imprinted items for everything from school fundraiser t-shirts to guest favors at the Wells Fargo Center luxury boxes.

"We’re going to deeply look for a useful item that people like, and that they’re not going to just throw away, and that will send the right message for your company," Hilgenberg added.

The pair also specializes in cause marketing: its Red Dog Gives Back charity brand designed and sold t-shirts to help raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon bombings, the Colorado wildfires, and to honor Maria Whitehead, a collegiate athlete who died of cancer. 

"When we can, we design a really awesome shirt and let people buy it and donate the money back," Leher said.

Red Dog Designs is expected to celebrate its grand opening this month, with a new website launching in November.