Marg Hyland

For the past 27 years, Marg Hyland has been at the helm of her company, Pegeen, a children’s formal wear company she founded in 1982. Although her company’s designs have been worn by many high profile celebrities and entertainers, in 1994, Pegeen was the first apparel company to jump on the internet and began to sell their dresses on the internet, and soon ceased selling to their 1900 stores worldwide.

Although I gained a strong following from stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Harrods’s (London) as well as many individual and national chain stores, I missed my children terribly since I was always on the road. Soon, I decided to practice what I was lecturing to so many women’s groups, that was, to raise your own children! After a few horrible nanny stories, including one that left her child with the police at the mall, Marg’s husband at first stayed home while she was traveling until we decided the only way to have it all, at least for us, was to go internet only. Cell phones have made it very easy for us to grow our company and our name had preceded us.Pegeen.com now sells directly through the internet with a very firendly yet huge website. Perhaps the website , the largest of it's kind, is a bit overwheming at times but it's because of the many selections that are available including colors and the thousands of customers who have contributed their custom selections to the website. Pegeen is proud too that not only do they have repeat customers but many customers were formerly flower girls themselves now come back to Pegeen.com to plan their own weddings.
Marg has seen markets and fashions change, companies, magazines, trade shows, colors and styles come and go, and her customers benefit from her experience. Mothers and ‘Brides to Be’ often call and ask for advice and Marg is all to happy to oblige. Pegeen.com has their phones on from 8am until 11 pm (summers until Midnight) and, if they are out of the office or when Marg is with her kids, they forward all calls to her cell phone.

Sometimes she can be found in the strangest of places, like on a Roller Coaster (Pegeen is in Orlando after all) or at the zoo, answering her phone in one ear while looking it up on her I-Phone in the other hand. Technology has made it easier to run the company with extended hours around her young children, a fact that has customers who are also working mothers applauding and often green with good-natured envy. Her commitment to customer service is such that she will spend as much time on the phone as an anxious customer needs, including helping them to navigate their computer because they are novice users.

A transplant from New Jersey, their corporate headquarters are now in Orlando FL where Ms. Hyland heads a large factory where all of their dresses and suits are made, each one individually made by her many well trained seamstresses. She and her husband work successfully together and are raising their two sons nearby the Happiest Place in the World so she can be consumed by her other passion, roller-coasters. About Pegeen: Pegeen is the Designer Alternative to Boring White Flower Girl Dresses and offers 180 colors in any combination for their custom creations, emphasizing their affordability yet extraordinary couture quality. Pegeen’s styles include girl’s dresses and boys suits from Infants through Plus Size for Girls up to 44 Chests. The dress fits perfectly on Fiona! She's all happy and can't wait to wear it! I find it extraordinary how you do this over such a distance - with the dress really fitting in the end! Best, Mirjam Gut Switzerland

Interests and Hobbies:
I always describe my favorite pursuit is the ultimate roller coaster. But, realistically, when you own a business my life is really reading and exchanging ideas with other business owners. I was privileged to grow up in a political family yet, even though I met all types of Senators, Governors and Presidents as well as celebrities, my meetings with business tycoons like Jack Welch (GE) and Carol Phillips (Clinique) became my mentors. My father would often find me in the back of rooms talking to these professionals when I was in my early teens. All of these experiences helped to formulate my business in the early years of the company. I am truly a workaholic. Pegeen.com is the proud sponsor of www.AFloodOfBooks.com started by her then 10 year old son who has brought a Tsnami of Books to various charities including Gulf State Libraries wrecked by Katrina. His tenacity has earned him recognition as Central Floridian of the Week, on the the finalists for Disney's Dreamers & Doers, and most recently a call from the White House where Mrs. Laura Bush commended him on his charitable efforts.

Homepage:
http://www.pegeen.com

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