Industry
Information Technology
Company Size
11 - 50 Employees
Location
Austin, Texas
The Partner
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. faced a critical shortage of masks. Recognizing the need for domestic production of personal protective equipment, Lloyd Armbrust founded Armbrust American in May 2020. Within just one week, the Austin-based company received over 1.46 million orders and donated 72,000 masks to hospitals and businesses in need. By six months, Armbrust was producing about one million masks daily.
The Problem
While skyrocketing demand was a positive challenge, the overwhelming need for masks quickly outpaced Armbrust American's ability to fulfill orders. According to Josh Rubin, Chief Marketing Officer, the company’s production team worked tirelessly to meet demand, leaving other essential areas like customer service and unified brand design struggling to keep up.
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"We didn't have time to hire a full-time graphic designer, accountant, or customer service rep simply and for no other reason than we were always running," Rubin explained.
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Why Armbrust Chose Howdy: Efficiency and Ethics
To tackle these issues quickly, Armbrust turned to Howdy for an efficient hiring solution.
"We needed people, fast," Rubin said. "Howdy made it super simple. Within one week, I had four different potential candidates to interview, plus everything I needed to vet them — their work history, their portfolio of projects, their specific focus."
The company also valued Howdy’s transparency and above-industry-standard compensation for its employees, said Phillip Quick, Armbrust Director of Customer Service.
"We've used staffing agencies in the past, and I didn't feel good about the big gap between what we paid them versus what they paid their employees," Quick explained. "One of the biggest things that stood out for me was Howdy's transparency around fair payment."
The Howdy Solution
Howdy provided Armbrust with four skilled professionals to address key challenges in graphic design, accounting, and customer service.
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Graphic Design
Howdy introduced Lucia, an experienced graphic designer from Argentina. Lucia quickly became an integral part of the team, learning the company’s e-commerce platform and proactively addressing areas for improvement.
"Lucia very quickly started stepping up in the organization," Rubin said. "Our brand bible was a little outdated — she rebuilt it not because I asked her to but because she saw that there was a need."
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The Results
With Lucia’s efforts, Armbrust achieved measurable improvements, including faster website load times and better SEO.
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"Shrinking and uniforming images increased the speed of our website, which is incredibly important for search engine optimization," Rubin explained. "That had a direct impact on our bottom line."
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Lucia also unified the design of email campaigns, which improved key metrics:
"We saw click and open rates go up while bounce rates and unsubscribes went down," Rubin added.
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For Lucia, working at Armbrust has been equally rewarding. "My time at Armbrust has been a blend of creative thinking and brand enhancement," Lucia said. "The collaborative atmosphere and diverse projects have allowed me to refine my skills while contributing meaningfully to its design."
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Customer Service
Howdy also matched Armbrust with Gus, a customer service specialist from Colombia. Gus quickly adapted to the role, offering proactive support and improving team morale.
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"Every day begins with 'good morning' and 'what can I help with?'" Quick said.
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The Results
With Gus on board, Armbrust extended its customer service hours and reduced response times significantly.
"We were at 30 minutes, we brought Gus in, and within five weeks we were down to 22 minutes," Quick shared.
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Accounting
Howdy helped Armbrust hire two skilled accounting professionals, Gisela and Lina, who quickly exceeded expectations, said Oracio Flores, Vice President of Finance.
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"I have been really impressed with their understanding of the accounting principles," Flores said. "Also, the fact they can quickly pick up and implement more robust concepts with our accounting system."
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The Results
Gisela and Lina have improved the accounting department’s efficiency, enabling the team to consistently meet deadlines and optimize workflows.
"They've increased productivity and saved money," Flores said. "Importantly, they maintain the books for me so I can focus on the higher-level picture."
The collaboration has been just as rewarding for Howdy engineers, who feel valued and supported by OJO.
"I was continually acknowledged, encouraged and recognized, which boosted my confidence in my ability to make things happen," said Pablo A., Senior Software Developer at Howdy. "The exceptional leadership of Qingqing was one of the standout parts of my time there. Her support and encouragement were crucial for my personal and professional growth."