Editor\u2019s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n University of Texas at Arlington alums Jeremy Su and Matthew Turner started their business in 2019 with their personal savings. The goal was to create craft supplies that made working on craft projects easier and more fun.<\/p>\n Seven years later, Bearly Art sells their products \u2014 including their signature Precision Craft Glue \u2014 at retailers as close as Keller and as far as the Philippines.<\/p>\n Out of their business\u2019s artistic community also spawned a now-independent nonprofit that brings encouragement to kids in foster care.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing a project that began in our crafting community take on a life of its own has been one of the most meaningful parts of building the company,\u201d Su wrote.<\/p>\n The interview has been edited for clarity.<\/p>\n McKinnon Rice: Tell us about your company and how it came together.<\/p>\n Jeremy Su: My co-founder and I founded Bearly Art in Arlington in 2019. We\u2019re both University of Texas at Arlington alumni, and we wanted to build craft supplies around the small details that make a project easier and more enjoyable. Our best-known product is Precision Craft Glue, which gives paper crafters fine control over where adhesive goes. We\u2019ve grown into a team based in Arlington and expanded our range of supplies.<\/p>\n The community around the business also helped start Cards For Cubs, a handmade card drive for children and young adults in foster care. It grew into its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2021. Bearly Art remains a sponsor. Seeing a project that began in our crafting community take on a life of its own has been one of the most meaningful parts of building the company.<\/p>\n Rice: What makes what you do unique or different from other organizations?<\/p>\n Su: We pay close attention to how makers actually use supplies: precise application, control on delicate paper projects, and the details that can make a frustrating project enjoyable again. We also listen closely to the people using our products. That relationship helped spark Cards For Cubs. What began as a card drive connected to the Bearly Art community became an independent nonprofit that brings together thousands of card makers to encourage young people in foster care.<\/p>\n Rice: What is the biggest lesson you\u2019ve learned since starting your own business?<\/p>\n Su: The biggest lesson has been that a business grows stronger when you listen to the people who gather around it. Our customers have shared their projects, taught us how they use our supplies, and helped us see needs we would never have spotted on our own. Cards For Cubs is the clearest example. What began as a card drive within the Bearly Art community grew because people chose to give their time and creativity. We may have helped start it, but the community made it much bigger than us.<\/p>\n Rice: What\u2019s your favorite part of what you do?<\/p>\n Su: Seeing what people create with our supplies. A bottle of glue is a small part of someone\u2019s project, but the finished work can be remarkably personal. Cards For Cubs made that especially clear: People used their creativity to send encouragement to young people they had never met.<\/p>\n Rice: How did you fund your company?<\/p>\n Su: Matthew and I funded Bearly Art with our personal savings. We started with what we had and grew the business from there.<\/p>\n Rice: Is there anything else you\u2019d like to share or mention?<\/p>\n Su: Cards For Cubs\u2019 published figures for 2020-25 show 301,075 handmade cards shipped, 6,475 card makers, and 535 foster agencies served. Bearly Art\u2019s community started the drive, and Cards For Cubs is now an independent nonprofit.<\/p>\n McKinnon Rice is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Her position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n