When you walk into Eastern Burlap and Trading Company in Norfolk, you notice two things right off. The first is Sandy. Don’t let the friendly look of this 15-year old dog go to your head. She is still the official watch dog and is as keen as ever at sizing up customers. You’ll also detect the smell of a boat or surfboard shop. When I asked company president Richard Popkin about the smell, he answered “what smell?” With a chuckle, he explained that polystyrene causes the smell, and it is not harmful.
Located in Norfolk, VA, Eastern Burlap and Trading Company is a lead supplier to the boat building and repair industries in southeastern Virginia and northeast North Carolina. But the company did not start out selling fiberglass cloth and resins. As the name suggests, they started out selling burlap, all the way back in 1926.
Popkin’s grandfather, Benjamin Popkin, started the business. Benjamin supplied burlap bags and boxes to the farmers in southeastern Virginia. The original location, on Ingleside Road, was rural in the 20s. In those days, local farmers packed their potatoes and corn in burlap bags. All the sales were produce packaging. Fiberglass had not been invented. Owens Corning patented “fibreglas” (originally with one “s”) in 1936. In 1957, Popkin’s father started a separate fiberglass business. This business sold fiberglass supplies and also tried to make fiberglass products such as small boats. Popkin still has the mold from a canoe they built. They also made a skiff, but he donated that mold to a school. But fiberglass was a new material, and finding skilled and knowledgeable workers was difficult.
After about a year, Popkin’s father quit building boats but continued to supply fiberglass materials to those who did. The fiberglass materials business merged with the burlap business. In 1982, they moved to the current 20,000 square-foot warehouse on 25th Street. Today, supplying fiberglass materials is the largest part of the business. They sell everything related to fiberglass, such as core materials, resins, adhesives, paints, tools, and just about anything else. Their customers vary from the famous Wanchese boat builders to hobbyists. They also supply the military and military contractors.
Because Eastern Burlap sells items in small or large quantities, they are able to cater to any individual or business. And they still sell burlap. Popkin noted, “When a hurricane is coming, we actually sell a decent amount of bags.“
Boat building has changed a lot through the years, and so have the materials used. Popkin and his crew of eight attend trade shows to keep up with the latest technology. In a far corner of the warehouse there is an area where they test every product they sell. “It helps us offer the best advice and service to our customers,” said the business owner. “The builders of custom sport fishing yachts are big customers,” said Popkin. He was referring largely to the builders in northeast North Carolina. “Every time there is an economic downturn, we can feel it. The first industries to be hurt in a slump are those that sell high-end luxury items. Big sport-fishers are expensive. Since a lot of their materials are petroleum based, rising oil prices also hurt their business… We have had some great times as well as the downturns,” he said. “When outhouses were made of fiberglass, business was booming! The porta potty days are over, as they are made of polyethylene plastic now.”
Since they supply the military, changes in defense budgets are always felt. “We specialize in personal service,” noted Popkin. “We make deliveries, so when a customer needs something to finish a repair on Friday afternoon, he knows he can call us, get his supplies, and finish a project for the weekend.” A steady stream of obviously repeat customers came in and out as I talked with Popkin, confirming his reliable and friendly service.
Check out their website at: easternburlap.com. If you have a repair or projects to complete, give Richard and his staff a call at (757) 622-5914. And remember their motto: “We sell the stuff that dreams are made of.”
by Kendall Osborne