By Shayna Mace | Photography by Shanna Wolf
Beverly Semmann’s journey with Rowe Pottery, an artisan pottery business, started back in 2007. Semmann was in charge of sales and marketing for the brand, and she could see the business had untapped potential.
In 2013, Semmann bought the flagging business from owner Ed Starostovic, ready to transform it.
“I kept thinking of all the changes that could be made to reduce expenses and grow sales [so] the business could be profitable again,” she says.
Semmann started by moving into a smaller building, replacing old equipment and forming strategic partnerships with other companies. Ironically, the newer equipment she bought was from Rowe Pottery’s founder, Jim Rowe — who started the business back in 1975. Rowe still made artisan pottery and personally owned newer equipment, which he was looking to part with. (Rowe sold the business in 2004 to Starostovic.)
She explains that Rowe’s products are “functional pottery — we always want it to be useful in your home. It’s microwave-, oven- and dishwasher-safe. It’s not something you just set on your shelf and look at — we encourage people to use it.”
Although their pieces look salt-glazed, Semmann explains the technique isn’t used in pottery production anymore due to environmental concerns. Rowe Pottery’s glaze engineer developed a cleaner firing and glazing alternative that replicates the look in their pieces. Adding to the hyper-local appeal, the business’s clay is made at Paoli Clay Company using a custom recipe from Rowe Pottery.
In addition to their classic stoneware pieces, Rowe Pottery introduces seasonal lines four times per year. The product caliber is unmatched for the price, says Semmann.
“[We offer] quality for a reasonable price — and it’s handcrafted. [Each piece] is touched by 25 hands before it gets to you. The average person can afford to buy it,” she says.
Semmann has enjoyed reviving the artisan brand and has done private-label lines for national brands including Room & Board, Jenni Kayne and Revelry.
“[Those pieces have] the brand [name] stamped on the bottom — but it also says ‘handcrafted by Rowe Pottery in Cambridge, Wisconsin.’ So, people know we’re making it.”
