New Frankoma Pottery manufacturing heart and storefront to open in Glenpool | House & Backyard

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Very similar to the long-lasting determine Will Rogers, Frankoma Pottery is synonymous with Oklahoma tradition.

The corporate, based by John Frank, began as a grassroots operation in 1933 in Norman. Identified for its sculptures, collectible figurines and dinnerware of earthy colours like Prairie Inexperienced and Desert Gold, Frankoma Pottery skilled large success and have become a family title within the pottery business all through the ’50s and ’60s.

After Frank’s dying in 1973, the corporate fell on laborious occasions, finally submitting for chapter and being bought, bought and repurchased by a variety of homeowners, resulting in its eventual closing in 2010.

Since 2012, nonetheless, issues have began to search for for Frankoma Pottery.

The corporate’s new proprietor, Dennis Glascock, got down to save the corporate. After buying the unique Frankoma molds and the corporate’s LLC, Glascock set about revitalizing the enterprise by remodeling it right into a strictly e-commerce operation.

Almost a decade later, Glascock is transferring into the following section of Frankoma Pottery’s renaissance: Constructing a brand new brick and mortar location in Glenpool that can function a producing heart in addition to a storefront for patrons.

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The constructing course of, headed up by Builders Limitless and Angel Decorative Iron Works, is about to be completed someday later this yr. Although provide chain points have slowed the constructing course of, Glascock stated he stays steadfast in his mission to construct again Frankoma Pottery.

His final aim, he stated, is to commemorate the corporate’s roots whereas renovating its operations to achieve a broader viewers.

“We’re making an attempt to honor loads of (Frankoma’s) previous, however we wish to go ahead into the current and the long run, too,” Glascock stated. “We wish to entice a youthful crowd in addition to the veteran prospects.”

Glascock stated he doesn’t plan to mass-produce pottery like the corporate previously did. With the quantity of dinnerware and dishes created cheaply in overseas nations and shipped to the US, he stated, it wouldn’t make fiscal sense to attempt to compete with giant corporations manufacturing pottery in locations reminiscent of China. Reasonably, Glascock needs to give attention to creating distinctive, suave items for a extra area of interest market.

Comprising this area of interest market are wholesalers who resell Frankoma merchandise to native shops, Oklahoma companies that wish to give their prospects one thing distinctive as items, and devoted Frankoma Pottery collectors working primarily on Fb, Etsy and eBay, Glascock stated.

“Persons are in search of Oklahoma merchandise, and it’s laborious to search out merchandise lately which might be distinctive to the state,” Glascock stated. “Folks wish to help Oklahoma and our native market, and that’s the worth of (Frankoma merchandise).

“We don’t essentially wish to return to Frankoma’s former glory. We wish to present artware, dinnerware and mugs which might be extra in keeping with our present market and what individuals need immediately.”

Frankoma Pottery maintains its relevancy as a result of the merchandise maintain their worth and really feel distinct from different dinnerware, vases and dishes in the marketplace immediately, Glascock stated.

“It’s a top quality product,” he stated. “Assuming you care for it — pottery is fragile, like the rest — it’s going to final you a lifetime; it’s constructed to final.”

Glascock stated the brand new facility’s location in Glenpool was chosen because of its handy and attention-grabbing location in comparison with the corporate’s former website in Sapulpa.

“In about 1938, John Frank determined he needed to develop and felt Sapulpa was an excellent place to go — the place he picked was on Route 66, which was a really lively street however isn’t a really heavily-traveled place immediately,” Glascock stated.

“Our new location is correct by Freeway 75, which is closely trafficked and never too removed from Sapulpa, which is the place lots of our staff nonetheless are immediately.”

The brand new manufacturing facility can be distinct from the outdated Frankoma Pottery location in Sapulpa in some ways, Glascock stated. For one, the brand new construction can be a lot smaller — simply 10,000 sq. ft in comparison with the outdated location’s 66,000 — and can seem extra trendy to attract in a youthful crowd.

Moreover, prospects buying within the storefront will be capable to watch from a viewing window as pottery is created by Frankoma craftsmen proper earlier than their eyes.

Most of the authentic Frankoma molds are nonetheless intact and are getting used to create pottery within the authentic fashion that made the model so in style throughout its prime, Glascock stated.

On the new location, prospects will be capable to custom-order the pottery of their alternative in addition to store for brand new kinds designed by regional artists.

“We’re enthusiastic about creating new items. If a buyer calls in and needs one thing new, we’ve individuals able to designing a model new piece,” Glascock stated. “We even have a couple of totally different artists, like Cindy Cushing in Kansas Metropolis and Orville Knight in Bartlesville, who design new items for us, and so they’re fairly good.”

Glascock stated his greatest precedence as he launches this new enterprise is paying correct homage to the historical past of Frankoma Pottery.

“I believe individuals can be happy with what we put within the constructing from a historic perspective, to actually present our prospects extra about who we’re,” he stated.

Glascock needed to remember to embody the ornamental horse heads which might be situated atop the fence exterior the brand new constructing to commemorate the contributions of 1 Oklahoma woodworker and artist.

“The horse heads are up there to honor Willard Stone, who lent half a dozen of his picket sculptures — lots of which have been of gorgeous horses — to John Frank, who turned them into pottery,” Glascock stated.

Whereas he regrets that the members of the Frank household who introduced Frankoma Pottery to life should not right here to see the progress being made on the brand new manufacturing facility and storefront, Glascock stated he hopes they might admire his efforts to rejuvenate the enterprise.

“Sadly, the Frank relations have handed on, however they have been conscious of my ambitions for this (facility), and I hope they might be pleased with what we’re engaging in right here,” Glascock stated.

To buy Frankoma Pottery on-line or to be taught extra in regards to the historical past of the corporate, go to frankomapottery.com



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