A decade ago, Yorron Hackmon used his artistic skills and ingenuity to fill a void in Jewish family education. Hackmon is the owner of ArtKitsEtc.com Inc., which provides high-quality art programs to Jewish education groups looking for something a little different.

Born in Israel, Hackmon, 39, came to the Rochester area 15 years ago. It was then that he started to get involved at area temples and Jewish organizations. Originally an artist, he took a job as an art and family educator at Temple B’rith Kodesh in Brighton. It was there he saw the need for his product: the supplies that were being used by the educators were not art supplies, but craft supplies.

Hackmon thought his students deserved better, he says. Starting out with kits to make prayer shawls, Hackmon began to piece together the foundation of what would become his first business, Judaic Art Kits. “I thought it would provide something that would engage people more,” he says. Hackmon received positive feedback when he showcased the kits at a conference for Jewish educators.

“Many young Jewish parents lack the knowledge of Jewish rituals and customs, so they can’t teach it to their children. Our programs give them a way to learn with their children” he says.

Originally offering only prayer shawl kits, Hackmon’s company now sells 15 different art kits, including Torah binders and quilt kits. “The process for all the kits is very simple so anyone can do it,” He says.

Some three years ago Hackmon incorporated Judaic Art Kits and a second venture, HuppahQuilt.com--which offers kits for quilts used in Jewish wedding ceremonies--into a single company called ArtKitsEtc.com.

Hackmon has plans to launch another Web site, CelebrationQuilt.com, later this year. The site will offer quilting kits for people of all faiths to be used for weddings and any other kind of celebration.

Hackmon launched the JudaicArtKits.com website primarily to give his customers a place to find the answers to common questions about the products. The results surprised him, as his customer base expanded instantly. “We get orders from all over the world, as far as Australia,” he says.

ArtKitsEtc.com currently employs seven seamstresses who work from their homes along with one full-time studio manager and another employee during the school year. But Hackmon doesn’t view himself as a businessman. “I’m not really a businessperson,” he says. ”I’m an artist who founded business.”

Annual gross sales for Artkitsetc.com are nearly $250,000. The business doubled in size every year for the first four years, and over the last six years, growth has been steady at 10 to 20 percent a year.

Judaic Art Kits’ main customers are Jewish schools and temples in the United States and Canada. They use the firm’s products for workshops for children and families. As for HuppahQuilt, its business comes from Jewish couples looking for a way to make their wedding canopy a personalized experience.

Quilts are quickly becoming the company’s biggest seller, followed by prayer shawls and book covers. All kits include a faux-silk fabric, patterns, practice fabric, fabric markers and instructions. “We’ve actually became one of the largest retailers of the fabric markers in the USA”, Hackmon says.

ArtKitsEtc.com operates in a niche market, but it does face competition. There are companies who offer lower-quality craft kits, but he is unfazed by competition. “I welcome competition because it’s all about providing the ability to create,” he says. “When you get a person who describes herself/himself an non-artistic to create something beautiful, you just changed that person’s life. Giving people access to their innate creativity is truly priceless.”

Hackmon predicts a bright future for ArtKitsEtc.com, with possibly a new investor or owner. “I want to be able to retire soon, create art and travel,” he says.