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One of the many impressive hospitality tabletop products we saw at the recently concluded NAFEM Show in Orlando was Homer Laughlin’s new GALA dinnerware. A thinner, lighter… and more elegant dinnerware – made especially for banquets and hi volume feeding from Homer Laughlin, GALA will take many by surprise. This “still” Made in the USA product is nearly 25% lighter than other, comparable banquet products with their 10 3/8” plate weighing in at a sleek 23.9 ounces! But, for us, the real test was when we picked it up and looked at the overall aesthetics and how it felt when we held it in our hand. GALA is a great, classic-looking dinnerware design that has both mid-rim and wide rim plates and both stackable and non-stackable cups that have a great balance and look that you will definitely want to check out.
While GALA is targeted specifically towards the banqueting and higher volume operators, because of its aesthetics and refinement, we could see GALA in fine dining restaurants, as well. Initially available in white, the new lightweight GALA dinnerware from Homer Laughlin can obviously be custom decorated to suite any operator’s individual needs. For more information on GALA or any of the other wide range of hospitality dinnerware products available from America’s Homer Laughlin China Company, go here: http://www.hlcdinnerware.com/ 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.” Since 2007, HLC and RAK have jointly serviced the Hospitality industry. On January 1, 2016 they will begin a new chapter in their long term relationship. RAK and HLC, collectively, will offer more products and additional personnel to the USA Foodservice Industry. Gene Williamson, currently Vice President of Foodservice Sales at HLC, will lead the new venture.
At the just concluded 2015 NRA Show in Chicago, Homer Laughlin, part of the HLC family of companies, presented for the first time their new COTTAGE collection, a handcrafted dinnerware line that evokes comfort, joy and a bit of nostalgic charm. Like all of Homer Laughlin dinnerware, new COTTAGE is designed and manufactured in the U.S.A. in their factory in Newell, West Virginia. The COTTAGE collection harkens back to simplicity, warmth and family meals remembered. On a durable, resilient ivory body with a distinct scalloped edge is a carefully hand-applied stippling of blue or brown “spice” — so every cup, bowl, plate and platter has its own, unique charm. As with all Homer Laughlin ivory-body products, COTTAGE is dishwasher-safe and oven-to-table ready. “We see an emerging market for Cottage, as diners yearn for a touch of home and restaurateurs focus on offering classic fare,” said Gene Williamson, vice president of sales for the Foodservice Division of HLC Inc. “We wanted to capture that essence with this pattern. We’re confident that dining establishments across the country will love both the durability and inviting beauty of COTTAGE.” Make your restaurant feel like a home away from home with handcrafted COTTAGE dinnerware from the Homer Laughlin China Company. For more information on COTTAGE or Homer Laughlin's wide range of products for the hospitality tabletop segment, go here: Homer Laughlin China Company Unveils the Cottage Collection
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 Homer Laughlin China Company®, a member of the HLC family of companies, is pleased to highlight their USA-made DURATHIN line of dinnerware, ideal for banquets, catering and large-scale events such as holidays, weddings and seminars. DURATHIN is an attractive blend of bowls, plates, cups and saucers that integrate seamlessly — ideal for setting tables or for self-service at large events. Wonderfully customizable, DURATHIN features a wide rim that becomes a canvas for a variety of decorations, including custom logos, decals and colorful accents. Designed durable for demanding foodservice environments, this medium-profile dinnerware — made of a thinner gauge material and rising at a lower angle — is also very stackable. The Homer Laughlin China Company has a long reputation for quality dinnerware and service ware, uniquely and uniformly customizable due to their U.S.-based manufacturing and design operations. For more than 100 years, HLC has provided innovation and inspiration to their customers, with dozens of ways to transform a table and elevate an event. “Durathin is ideal for special events,” said Gene Williamson, vice president of sales for the Foodservice Division of HLC Inc. “The combination of beauty, strength and functionality combine to help the line enrich any table setting while extending value for caterers, hoteliers and more.” When you seek beautiful, durable dinnerware solutions for special events, look to DURATHIN to complete the picture. For more information on Homer Laughlin and its wide range of hospitality dinnerware options, go here: http://www.hlcdinnerware.com/home |
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