Marcel Ford attended the Entrepreneurship Program at the USC Marshall School of Business and lives in Newport Beach, California, with his wife and their two children.
Marcel earned his California real estate license in 1992 and immediately put it to good use by purchasing several bank-owned properties for renovation and resale.
In 1993, he created Simply Silk, a silk plant cleaner for the retail market, and within eighteen months it was in over 125 Costco locations. Marcel continued to expand its product line into several other categories and retailers. His company, Botanical Science, boasted over eighty-five products that could be found in all major retailers: Walmart, Kmart, Target, Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Toys "R" Us, Michaels, Linens 'n Things, PetSmart, Petco, Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, Albertsons, and several other national chains.
Marcel stepped away from Botanical Science in 2000 during the internet startup era and launched the first online arts and craft superstore called CraftProducts.com. He was first in the market with 13,000 craft items online. During acquisition talks with a public company, the internet bubble burst and venture capital vanished, so he returned to running Botanical Science.
In 2002, with a 150,000-square-foot distribution facility and over 120 employees manufacturing products 24/7, he decided it was the opportune time to sell Botanical Science.
Marcel returned to buying, rehabbing and reselling houses, where he applied his passion for marketing. He was one of the largest home buyers in Southern California within a few short years, buying and personally reselling approximately 50 homes annually.
Marcel credits his success to the effective marketing campaigns he created by purchasing 1-800-CASH-TODAY and incorporating the slogan “Sell Your House the Easy Way, Call 1-800-CASH-TODAY” into his TV commercials, billboards, direct mail and strong online presence. This business is active and alive today with an ever-expanding nationwide buying program.
Don’t be fooled by Marcel’s sense of humor—his hard work ethic is truly impressive, his experience is unparalleled, and his professionalism is undoubtedly world class.