Business & Tech

Business Owner 'Craftily' Helps Others Everyday

Scott Walode owns ExhibitCraft, a design firm that creates marketing materials for businesses. He treats others the way he wants to be treated. Walode lives and works in Wayne.

Tight deadlines. Constant stress. Criticism and questions that won’t stop sometimes.

It is all part of the job for Scott Walode.

Walode is the owner of , a firm that designs and produces trade show displays and helps develops marketing strategies for businesses.

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“The greatest satisfaction we get is when a people come to us and say that they felt that we genuinely cared about the product we made for them,” Walode said. “That’s an amazing feeling.”

Walode lives in Wayne with his wife and four kids.

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Walode’s line of work is one that can be done electronically. Files and ideas can be discussed over the phone and transmitted via e-mail.

Walode and his staff want to turn that process upside down. They enjoy being hands-on with their clients. They pride themselves on working in person with as many clients as possible.

“It doesn’t matter who comes up with an idea, whether we do or a client, it is the feedback that matters,” Walode said. “The more feedback you can get from someone in person, the faster everything goes.”

The business was featured on a recent episode of “The Real Housewives of NJ.” The company created an exhibit for blk. water, the brainchild of Jacqueline Laurita and her nephew, Albie Manzo, at the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C.

Initially, Walode thought he wouldn’t end up in the family business. After receiving his Accounting degree he thought he was off to law school. He graduated from college on a Friday and on Monday, he was working with his father at HW Exhibits, the family business. He worked there part-time in college.

“It doesn’t matter what the product is or where the idea the client has comes from, our job to make sure that we produce a branding strategy around that idea, and that’ company’s identity,” Walode said.

Walode runs his business with a simple credo: treat your customers the way you want to be treated. And, it appears to be paying off. The business is expanding its showroom and office space.

“How successful we are isn’t because of any one person. We’re all in this, every one of us brings something to the table. That great feeling I get of helping others, we all feel that when something really works,” Walode said.

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