Graftobian

Graftobian is an American makeup manufacturer based in Madison, Wisconsin, specialising in professional high-definition, theatrical and special-effects cosmetics for film, television, stage and beauty work. The company was founded in 1978 by Gene and Evelyn Coffman, who began producing makeup in their Madison home [4]. It remains a family-run business and is active today, with the founders' son, Eric Coffman, serving as president [4].

What started as a maker of face-paint kits for children grew over the following decades into a broad professional catalogue. By the company's own count it now produces roughly 2,500 products, exporting around 30% of them to markets across Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Africa, Canada and South Korea [4].

Gene and Evelyn Coffman started Graftobian in 1978, working out of their home in Madison and initially making watercolour face-paint kits for children [4]. The operation outgrew the house quickly: in 1981 the founders moved production out of their home, and by the early 1980s the company had begun selling internationally [4].

The business has stayed within the family. Alongside president Eric Coffman, son-in-law Robert Chantigian works as production manager [4]. The headquarters sits at 510 Tasman Street in Madison, where the company describes its crème foundations as handcrafted and made in America.

From its children's face-paint origins, Graftobian expanded its lines to serve professional makeup artists in television, film and theatre productions. The product range came to include theatrical makeup, special-effects products, airbrush systems, cosmetic glitters, brushes and accessories.

In 2022 the company reached a cluster of milestones. It was named the U.S. Small Business Administration's Wisconsin Small Business Exporter of the Year and received the Wisconsin Governor's Export Achievement Award [4]. The same year, it consolidated operations into a new 10,400-square-foot facility next to its existing headquarters, an expansion projected to grow its workforce from around 14 employees to roughly 40 [4].

Graftobian positions itself as an American manufacturer of professional cosmetics, with high-definition makeup as its declared specialty. According to the company, its aim is "to craft the absolute best makeup and make it accessible at a fair price" [1]. Its tagline is "Pro Makeup Empowers."

The brand frames its work around safety and domestic manufacturing. It states that its products use FDA-approved, cosmetic-grade ingredients, and that its crème foundations are fragrance-free, silicone-free and cruelty-free, with makeup "never tested on animals" [2]. President Eric Coffman has summed up the outlook plainly: "We believe in our hearts that the best products in the world are made here in America" [4].

The catalogue spans several professional categories. Among its signature lines, the HD Glamour Crème Foundations are described by the company as "the premiere High Definition Makeup for TV, Film and Print Media Beauty and Fashion work" [3]. Graftobian F/X is a highly pigmented special-effects range for film, television and stage, while ProPaint covers professional face and body paint formulations.

The brand also continues to make products for its original audience: DISGUISE STIX is a watercolour face paint marketed for children, sold alongside colour and glitter hairsprays, airbrush makeup, brushes and tools.

Beyond its 2022 federal and state export honours, Graftobian was profiled the same year by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which described it as a family-run Madison manufacturer recognised as the state's Small Business Exporter of the Year [4].

Graftobian is active. The brand operates an e-commerce site with a full product catalogue and maintains active social channels, and its 2022 facility expansion and exporter-of-the-year award point to a growing operation [4]. Its sales reach is multi-regional, with roughly 30% of products shipped overseas to several continents.