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Steelite International (“Steelite”), the world-leading manufacturer and supplier of award-winning tableware and buffet solutions for the hospitality industry, announced today the acquisition of The Homer Laughlin China Company – Foodservice Division and the Hall China Company – Foodservice Division from The Homer Laughlin China Company. The former Homer Laughlin and Hall China manufacturing operations will now collectively be known as The Fiesta® Tableware Company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Steelite will take over the manufacture and sales of key product lines from Homer Laughlin and Hall China’s foodservice offerings. Customers can expect most dealer partners to stay the same, and all representation will be conducted through Steelite's network. Its vast international reach will put the Homer Laughlin name on foodservice tables worldwide. Homer Laughlin's iconic retail line, Fiesta®, will not be part of the sale and will continue to be manufactured at the existing plant in Newell, West Virginia. Fiesta®, will be sold exclusively to the foodservice market by Steelite International.
Elizabeth Wells McIlvain, president of The Homer Laughlin China Company, said, "We want our customers to know they are in good hands with Steelite. Both companies are working hard to make this a seamless transition." She added, "We started our foodservice division in the late 1950s, and it's been a rewarding 60+ years. We especially thank all of our foodservice customers who have supported us and helped make Homer and Hall what are widely considered iconic brands. To these customers, you will still be able to get these products, but through Steelite's rep channel and dealers. Finding a powerhouse brand like Steelite was important to us as we transitioned to focus on Fiesta® and its considerable retail influence.” McIlvain said the Wells family entered into the sale of the foodservice division to be able to focus exclusively on the popular and colorful line of retail dinnerware that has been an American standard and one of the most celebrated American retail brands since 1936. “We are very pleased to acquire The Homer Laughlin China Co., and Hall China Company brands for the hospitality market," said Steelite International president and CEO John Miles. "In working with the Wells family, we understood we needed a creative solution since we were only acquiring a portion of the business. We took a step back to analyze the situation and came up with an imaginative and collaborative plan that achieved both parties' goals, which were for Steelite to acquire and sell HLC and Hall China brands to the Americas foodservice market and for Fiesta's production to stay in America at the current HLC facility on the Ohio River. As we take over the manufacturing of the foodservice ranges, our number one priority at Steelite will be to supply HLC and Hall China customers with the same quality, durability, and body composition the brands are known for in our industry." McIlvain said, "The decision to sell the foodservice division was very difficult for the Wells family, and we deliberated and considered it thoughtfully. We wanted to find a home for our foodservice customers with a manufacturer who could take on the reputation for excellence and the beloved shapes and patterns that we've been proud to manufacture for more than 60 years. Steelite is that company." About The Homer Laughlin China Co The Homer Laughlin China Company® was founded in 1871 and will continue manufacturing as The Fiesta® Tableware Company. For more information, please contact the HLC Inc., 672 Fiesta Drive, Newell, WV 26050. Phone: (800) 452-4462. Fax: (304) 387-0593. Web: www.hlcdinnerware.com/faqs. Email: [email protected]. About Steelite International Steelite International is the leading manufacturer and supplier of award-winning tabletop and buffet products for the global hospitality industry. Listening to customers has allowed Steelite to offer innovative solutions in china, metal, glass, wood, and melamine. Dual headquarters located in New Castle, PA, and Stoke -On-Trent UK, along with a 500,000 square foot manufacturing facility enables Steelite to service over 140 countries. Steelite is committed to providing the best in functionality and design while minimizing the effect on our environment. www.steelite.com For more information contact: Alison Clingensmith Director of Marketing Steelite International 724-856-4949 [email protected] What does it mean when a company boasts their product is “Made in the USA”? How is that claim different from “Assembled in the USA” or “Proud to be an American Manufacturer?” As it turns out, and much to the chagrin of many American manufacturing companies, the difference is a matter of interpretation; that is, “Made in USA” brand licensees usually meet accreditation standards through self-certification. Decades ago, “Made in America” became a rallying cry as industries hoped to move consumer preference away from low-priced imports. Today, manufacturers generally agree that “Made in the USA” should be a badge of American quality. As one of the last, large, true manufacturers of dinnerware made in the United States, HLC Inc.’s Homer Laughlin China Company became one of the charter partners in a movement to stop the process of self-certification of the “Made in America” claim. Taking the lead on this front is GBQ Partners LLC, an independent CPA firm who has teamed with Made in the USA Brand, LLC, to administer the Made in USA Brand Certification Mark verification program process. That process is now complete for Homer Laughlin. “GBQ Partners has completed their independent verification process of our products,” said Katie McIlvain, foodservice and general marketing manager for the HLC Family of Companies. “We are proud to be able to say that Homer Laughlin’s full line of dinnerware products are now certified as Made in the USA.” To achieve accreditation and verification, products must be found to have U.S. content greater than 90 percent. “This is a hallmark of quality we are honored to have achieved,” said McIlvain. “We believe that offering a product made in the USA makes a difference to our customers, and we’re proud of our company’s American heritage.” The Hall China Company, part of the HLC family of companies, has introduced PANGEA™ — their unique new collection of tabletop completer items and serving dishes. In this collection, every piece seemingly unfurls. PANGEA is designed to be non-linear and to offer no edge lines. Instead, vessels feature distinctive waves, rising and falling gracefully, drawing the eye and bringing an organic accent to the tabletop. “Pangea offers curvy functionality in attention-getting shapes,” said Katie McIlvain, marketing manager for the Foodservice Division of the HLC family of companies. “We designed this line specifically to speak to the earth and to evolution and flow. Even the colors are of the earth. The whole collection is remarkable and seems to grow from piece to piece as a table is set.” Whether you are looking for something special to set the table for an intimate, farm-to-table dinner or want to set an evocative and impressive buffet table, PANGEA lets the cuisine deliver the message while uniting fun, flair and function. The new PANGEA line consists of eight shapes in five colors. Pieces include two deep-welled bowls, two pasta bowls, one salad plate, one tray, and one sauce/condiment dish. The varying sizes and the waved rim lines promote economical plating — a presentation looks full without the need to fill to the rim. Colors are earth tones: mushroom, paprika, sage, white, and bright white. These colors pair well with Fiesta®, Bosque®, and other collections from Hall China’s sister company, The Homer Laughlin China Company. “This line was inspired by ‘Pangea,’ a former supercontinent on Earth that encompassed all land as a single unit,” said McIlvain. “People coming together, flowing together to share a meal and to create new bonds is the spirit of our Pangea collection.” For more information on PANGEA or any of Hall China's other wide range of products for the hospitality tabletop, go here: Hall China Launches New PANGEA Collection of Serving Pieces Yesterday, July 20th, at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern time (U.S), a fire began in the mid-section of Hall China’s East Liverpool (Ohio) plant in one of the three ware dryers used for reducing moisture content. The afternoon maintenance man who was on duty at the time, Brian Cronin, immediately notified the East Liverpool Fire Department as he circled the interior of the company’s plant, first ensuring that all employees were accounted for and evacuated, prior to leaving the building himself. The fire department quickly put out the blaze, but the affected dryer was destroyed. When asked why he decided to stay, Brian said, “There were a lot of new people here, and I didn't know if they knew how to get out. I just felt like it was my job to make sure that everyone got out okay.” While no other employees were injured in the fire, Cronin was treated for minor smoke inhalation and was later released from East Liverpool City Hospital. No structural damage occurred from the fire, and all employees returned to work this morning, helping to clean water any damage from the firefighting efforts, and to repack boxes that may have gotten wet. Jim Waddle, production supervisor for Hall China said, “While we did lose one dryer in the fire, because our dryers are computerized, the remaining dryers can be easily reprogrammed to fill the production void caused by the lost dryer.” Liz McIlvain, president of HLC Inc., parent company to Hall China, said, “We are extremely thankful to the East Liverpool Fire Department for their incredibly fast response, as well as to all the employees who are back at the factory this morning helping clean up and make sure that we continue to maintain our production schedule and ship orders. However, we offer a special thanks to afternoon maintenance-man Brian Cronin for the selfless way that he not only reported the fire, but ensured that employees got out safely.”
FOUNDRY has been created and molded to not impress visually, but to distribute heat evenly across its surface and stand the tests of both time and temperature in the toughest of back-of-the-house conditions. Similarly, FOUNDRY's high-quality glaze delivers a distinct personality that will wow your guests. From au gratin bowls to coffee cups, FOUNDRY symbolizes strength and beauty at every level of the dining experience. With more than 50 items in the range, Hall China's new FOUNDRY and its blackened matte finish seems just-pulled from the fire and the shapes - carefully designed by company artisans - feature strong, clean lines. All while looking and feeling like seasoned cast iron....without any of the worry of rust.
FOUNDRY from Hall China. Pulled from the Earth and forged in fire. FOUNDRY will inspire. To learn more about Hall China's new FOUNDRY and the many other collections that Hall produces for the hotel and restaurant industry, go here: Hall China Launches new Artisan-look FOUNDRY Collection The Hall China Company®, a member of the HLC family of companies, is pleased to present its new catalog highlighting a full line of specialty dinnerware, including service ware, baking dishes, accessories and completer items, all made in the USA. “Rather than reemphasize this value principle, we wanted to graphically capture how Hall China pieces transform a table. With that as our goal, I really think our pieces jump from the pages of this new catalog,” said Gene Williamson, Vice President of Sales for the Foodservice Division of HLC Inc. “Our customers will be able to imagine possibilities that only our 100-plus years of continued innovation could inspire.” Hall China has been a staple of the American tabletop for more than a century and, in 2010, joined with Kenilworth/RAK and the Homer Laughlin China Company to form the HLC family of companies. The energy derived from the shared manufacturing resources has reinvigorated Hall’s collections and given need for the vibrant and appealing new catalog. From service ware to baking dishes to center-of-the-table accessories – Hall offers a vast array of completer items to suit every possible need. Hall’s pieces are at home everywhere – from cruise ships to hotels, from fine dining to casual. The company has designed this catalog to become a selector guide for chefs, dealers and tabletop creators in every foodservice niche. The book further offers experienced insights to help customers build their brand. The new Hall China catalog is chaptered in much the same manner as operators might use the product, with product assembled into categories such as Cook and Serve; Soup, Salad, and Pasta; Bakeware; Buffetware; and Condiments and Sauces. Foodservice professionals know that Hall China famously maintains their brilliant colors and surface appearance after decades of use. To find out more about Hall China, go here: http://www.hlcdinnerware.com/hall_china
“Our design team is very pleased that SoHo was so well received in boutique restaurants, sidewalk cafes, catering, and more,” said Mick Bowdler, Designer at Hall China. “SoHo is sleek styling for the smallest tabletops, yet its strong presentation style instantly had an impact. The new beverage service is a perfect complement to the original line up. We’re expecting big things,” said Bowdler.
To learn more about Hall China, go here: http://www.hlcdinnerware.com/hall_china The Homer Laughlin China Co., a member of the HLC Family of Companies, is pleased to announce an exciting additional choice in their popular RE-21 foodservice-grade dinnerware line. RE-21 is widely known and well-respected for its quality, strength and beauty by foodservice industry professionals across the country. The durability of this Ivory Body line has long been favored for even the most high-volume tabletop environments. Now, Homer Laughlin is pleased to be able to offer the visually appealing Arctic White glaze as an option for this popular line. This glaze offers an attractive, bright white hue, bringing a subtle, additional level of class and sophistication to any environment. “Our foodservice customers have been asking for strong, bright white dinnerware, and we have responded to their needs with the arctic white glaze for RE-21,” says Gene Williamson, Vice President of Sales for the Foodservice Division of HLC Inc. “We’re confident our clients will be pleased with this option, which will deliver the versatility and quality they have come to rely on from Homer Laughlin.” The HLC Family of Companies prides itself on being the meeting place of craftsmanship and technology. As a Genuine Manufacturer™, their vast selection of dinnerware and accessories are designed and manufactured in the company’s own factory, furthering their goals to operate with a sharp focus on quality control, cost-efficiency and sustainability. RE-21 with Arctic White glaze can be customized with any desired color or pattern. As with all HLC products, the company’s customization options provide an attractive and impressive array of choices, and a consistency in production that sets them apart from other dinnerware companies. In addition to the many styles and colors shown on their website, HLC’s designers can work with you on any custom design, incorporating restaurant, company or brand logos and colors. For more information on Homer Laughlin, Hall China, or RAK Porcelain products from HLC, go here: http://www.hlcdinnerware.com/
With more than 140 years of experience and extensive production capabilities, Homer Laughlin offers a broad line of commercial dinnerware, with hundreds of patterns, dozens of distinguishing colors, and 17 shapes, 11 of which are proprietary.
HLCdinnerware.com showcases the benefits of working with Genuine Manufacturers, which includes control of processes, customization like no other in the business — think faster, less expensive, and more options — and the ability to effect a cleaner approach to manufacturing, reducing the companies’ environmental footprints. Gene Williamson, Vice President of Sales for the Foodservice Division of HLC Inc. says, “I feel the new website represents the best of HLC. People only need to hold a piece of HLC dinnerware to recognize it immediately for its quality. No website can adequately represent that, but we are hoping it will inspire many to seek the experience.” To see the entire range of HLC Dinnerware - Homer Laughlin, RAK Porcelain, and Hall China - collections for the foodservice business or to simply check out their new website, go here: http://www.hlcdinnerware.com/home
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Ment'or Inspiring Culinary Excellence Archives
November 2021
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