This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/good-company-how-haand-ceramics-set-the-example-for-better-pottery-01661441180
As the old adage goes, we eat with our eyes first—and that extends to the plates and service items on which our food is served.
For several of the U.S.’s most notable and buzziest restaurants, those plates, cups, and bowls are coming from Burlington, N.C.’s Haand Ceramics. But this year, which marked a decade in business, the company began to focus as much on its direct-to-consumer efforts as its hospitality business.
Haand is on track to produce 70,000 pieces this year, and the company remains committed to making its pottery as sustainably as possible, even as co-founders Chris Pence, 39, and Mark Warren, 38, begin a search for a larger facility to support growth.
The company makes pieces as small as a single ramekin and as large as big sharing platters. Haand also produces one-off ceramic items such as special collection vases and decor plates along with sharing serviceware.
Haand counts as clients restaurants such as Superba Food + Bread in Los Angeles, Death & Taxes in Raleigh, N.C., and several Marriotts across the state as regular customers.
Smaller pieces start at US$15-US$20, more standard plates and cups range from US$25-US$45 and larger bowls and vases can retail for upwards of US$90.
Haand (derived from an old Norwegian word for “hand”) considered environmental and social impact from the start, using rainwater for almost all parts of the production process in the company’s earliest days, among other sustainable practices.
“We learned that the pH of rain water is really beneficial to the slip casting process, in addition to being free of any oxides from old pipes,” Warren says.
He adds that the company’s initial home—which was literally a house—used an open spring as its water source, and the founders noticed it was bright red from all of the red clay in the water, in addition to a few deer carcasses right uphill from the spring. Rainwater was not only a cleaner option, but a necessity.
Warren and Pence estimate that because ceramic scrap can be reintegrated into new material, about 20% of each finished piece uses scraps from past production, and the company fills and fires their kilns as efficiently as possible to curb carbon emissions as much as possible. Additionally, the physical production processes for dip-glazing (when a piece is dipped in a glaze before entering the kiln) and casting (the extra bit of material left at the top of each piece after construction) are closed-loop and lossless, meaning any material not included in the final piece gets recycled and reused.
Residential hosts and hospitality pros are attracted to Haand’s simple yet modern designs, which look right at home on a six-top or as the focal point of an intimate dinner. Colors are often playful and the company is noted for a specific “cloudware” style, which artfully mixes light blues and whites. (Two pieces showcasing that signature style—a mug and vase—are part of their 10-year anniversary collection released last month.)
Operating out of Burlington, Haand has access to a different breadth of talent than traditional artist-heavy cities. In a larger market, not only would Haand have to compete with other companies for artistic and production employees, but the company wouldn’t be able to have the same impact that it does as a more substantive employer in a smaller city. The talent pool in and around the area gives Haand the opportunity to offer stable, rewarding work for people who may have no background in ceramics or crafting (or come from another non-traditional background), but are eager to learn the craft.
“We want to employ more people and provide meaningful jobs in the art world,” Warren says. “We develop a lot of respect with our employees.”
Pence says the company can train most new employees and get them ready to work in production in about two to three months. The company employs 26 people, all in Burlington, and Pence says they haven’t had any issues finding people who want to work for Haand and be a part of the growth, especially in a region hard-bit by manufacturing losses in decades prior.
As Haand grows, Warren is focused on creating a more sustainable and responsible business.
“The lesser impact is in the less waste we make, and we get more efficient at that, so the process doesn’t feel as impactful,” he says.
Beyond preparing for that eventual move into a bigger manufacturing space, Warren says that they want to find more ways to “fully set the table” with Haand products. “There’s always been that vision of using the table as the launching point,” he says.
This means expansion into linens, cutlery, serving utensils, and custom glass, all made while sticking to the company’s near and dear values.
“(We want to make sure) we’re reflective of our people and ask, ‘Is this the right way to do things?’” Pence says. “We have an insatiable appetite, but our company culture is critical to us and is very much the core of our mission.”
As the old adage goes, we eat with our eyes first—and that extends to the plates and service items on which our food is served.
An error has occurred, please try again later.
This article has been sent to
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.