PHOENIX — PHS International is celebrating its 20-year anniversary on the heels of co-founders’ Chuck Harnish and Jim Horne’s 25th silver anniversary.
The power couple are credited as the first to expand the adult market for gay men, LGBTQ and BDSM enthusiasts through fully merchandised and packaged product lines.
PHS International was founded in 1995 following a local Arizona merchant’s request for a line of Pride jewelry. The company’s catalog then went from a handful of SKUs to more than 5,000.
“The mainstream demand for Pride gear was huge and retailers wanted everything from apparel to home décor, so Jim and I set to work not only to stock stores fast but also to help them create inclusive and welcome shopping environments,” Harnish said. “No longer delegated just to a single rainbow-colored corner, our Pride merchandise — now known as Gaysentials — is sold in every continent except Antarctica.”
It wasn’t for another 10 years until PHS International entered the adult arena. Harnish and Horne decided to create a full line of products marketed specifically to gay men with packaging and a brand name — now known as M2M — that reflected their target audience.
According the company, M2M became the very first adult product line to feature two men on the front of its packaging and made history with its forward-thinking approach to marketing to the gay community. Today, M2M remains a mainstay in adult stores around the world and offers a range of essentials, including BDSM and cock-and-ball products.
“We started the plan-o-gram approach with our 3' x 8' wall display and the incredibly successful M2M launch paved the way for our other branded lines,” Harnish said. “Knowing that a lot of companies were manufacturing similar goods, we decided to create full-line branded goods with eye-catching packaging. We essentially treated packaging and merchandising as importantly as the manufacturing of the products themselves. And when we introduced M2M at our first ExpoMark show, industry vets were impressed by its quality and cohesive displays.”
Since then, PHS International has debuted H2H (Heart to Heart) beginner BDSM gear marketed to heterosexual couples, Fresh! vegan fetish toys and vibes, Bijoux de Nip nipple hand-beaded clamps, and With Attitude novelties. Their recent product releases include solid stainless steel cock rings in various colors and styles, Bijoux de Nip handcrafted pasties, and Ka-Pow Color! brightly colored leather gear.
“We are absolutely delighted to be celebrating two decades as adult industry innovators together after twenty-five wonderful years as partners in business and in life,” Harnish said. “We have always been — and always will be — a small company and to have made it so far in this competitive industry shows that PHS International holds a strong and respected position. We look forward to creating even more products and collections that speak to our loyal customers’ needs and wants.”
