Louisville Stoneware

Louisville Stoneware, previously known as Louisville Pottery, is located in the Highlands section of Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1815, making it one of the oldest stoneware companies in the United States, it creates fanciful stoneware that is nationally renowned. [ [http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/gen/company.html?gcode=0D097D6DC38A4ADAADEA19C7A9FD290C Louisville Stoneware Company Profile | Company Information ] ] [VandeHe, Jim. Kerry Describes Health Proposal "Washington Post" May 12, 2004, pg A08] [Nold, Chip. "Insiders' Guide to Louisville, Kentucky & Southern Indiana, 2nd" pg.106,107] It specializes in decorating its pottery with Kentucky Derby and Christmas themes, but it has other themes as well: Noah's Ark, Primrose, and Pear being examples. They can also create personalized items. Besides pottery, they have made bird baths and bird feeders. [Nold 107]

Clay used by the company comes from western Indiana, and may be up to 250 million years old. [ [http://louisvillestoneware.com/story/artistry/ Artistry in the Making | Our Story | Louisville Stoneware ] ] Dishes made at the factory have been proven to be safe for use in ovens, microwave ovens, and dishwashers, and can retain heat for keeping food warm. [ [http://www.kentuckyhaus.com/louisvillestoneware.html Kentucky Haus • Louisville Stoneware ] ]

Items from Louisville Stoneware are in the Smithsonian Institution and White House. [Nold 107] In addition, Queen Elizabeth II was presented a music box made by Louisville Stoneware, given by the wife of Kentucky's governor Ernie Fletcher, that played My Old Kentucky Home when the Queen visited Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby in 2007. [Gumbrecht, Jamie. Queen keeps a low profile at Churchill Downs. "Lexington Herald-Leader" May 5, 2007]

The "New York Times" singled out Louisville Stoneware as a business especially affected by the United Parcel Service strike of 1997. [Uchitelle, Louis. First, Big Spurt in Business And Then a Probable Drop "New York Times" August 20, 1997]

During the U.S. presidential campaign of 2004, John Kerry gave a campaign diatribe on small-business healthcare insurance in May 2004 at Louisville Stoneware. [VandeHe]

In March 2007, Louisville Stoneware laid off most of its employees (38 out of 49), after which they retooled their visitor's center and temporarily opened a store at Oxmoor Center in St. Matthews, Kentucky. In July, it was sold to Two Stone Inc., as the previous owner, Christina Lee Brown, wished to retire. [Louisville Stoneware sold to local investment group "Business First of Louisville" July 17, 2007] The chief concept officer, Lisa Mullins, decided to increase the number of places that sold their stoneware from just one, Taste of Kentucky, to three additional locations in Louisville, and one apiece in Bardstown, Kentucky, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. [Louisville Stoneware partners with retailers "Business First of Louisville" November 7, 2007] There has been plans to open stores in Chicago, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. [Slawsky, Richard. Louisville Stoneware's new strategies shift from wholesale to retail focus "Business First" November 24, 2006]

Since 1997, company sales have averaged $3 million a year. In those ten years, the business switched from a mostly wholesale business to mostly retail. Over 90% of their business has been centered around Louisville and Kentucky, but internet and national advertising is expected to expand distribution. [Slawsky]

Factory tours are available weekdays by appointment, with group discounts available. [ [http://www.louisvillestoneware.com/locations/factorytours/ Factory Tours | Locations | Louisville Stoneware ] ] It is anticipated that, eventually, tours could make the factory as big a center for Louisville tourism as the Louisville Slugger Museum. [Slawsky]

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References

External links

* [http://louisvillestoneware.com/ Official site]