February 5th, 2010
What a fun treat to have find that Deneen Pottery made the front page of the local news for the Billings Gazette! It’s all about the timing and I was luck enough to get in just as the staff photographer was grabbing shots of the set up at the Plaza. I believe there was more of a story with some of the other vendors, but I guess when you have handmade mugs that looks this good, who needs a story? Just Kidding.
In all honesty this was a successful show and we met up with some new ranches that were excited about finding mugs that are handmade in the USA. One friend rancher actually said to me, “I really like you mugs, they are so much nicer than most of the crap that have, and our guests do buy them.” When I jotted that note down the rancher, who will remain nameless, said it would be ok if I used his words – Thanks Barry.
Looking forward to getting all the artwork and orders finalized over the next week!
A big thank you to the DRA for hosting another fantastic show!
Thanks for reading our blog ~ Niles Deneen
Tags: handmade mugs, Niles Deneen, USA made Mugs
Posted in Conferences | No Comments »
January 26th, 2010
All Star line-Up
By Lee Egerstrom
Economic Development Fellow
lee.egerstrom@mn2020.org
A company of artists in St. Paul is proving that making art objects can sustain a small business, that entrepreneurs can survive economic cycles, and that quality can still trump quantity in this age of big box stores and mass marketing.
Deneen Pottery is a family owned business that has endured various trials and tribulations since 1972. It makes hand-thrown stoneware products for institutional and business customers who want to exhibit glaze engraved logos, which result from a trademark protected process that Deneen master potters invented.
The biggest categories of Deneen’s 2,700 customers are hospitality industry companies such as bed and breakfasts, country inns and golf courses. Right behind are college bookstores, corporations that want promotional items for products or their corporate image, and restaurants. Renaissance festivals and community events that appeal to tourists who may be collectors is another important but smaller category, and Deneen has a small number of retailers as customers who specialize in merchandise for tourists.
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Tags: handmade coffee mug, handmade mugs, handmade stoneware mugs, Niles Deneen, Peter Deneen
Posted in Press Releases | No Comments »
January 25th, 2010
With the defeat of the Vikings to the New Orleans Saints yesterday night, the mood here in Minnesota is somber… This is why we, here at Deneen Pottery, will turn our attention to more positive things, like the new mug for the Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show hosted by PAII (Professional Association of Innkeepers International).
We’ve been proudly making mugs for PAII and their Innkeeping Show since 1992, when JoAnn Bell first sent out a form letter seeking a ‘handmade mug supplier’ to provide an item to commemorate PAII’s second biennial event. There is much more to this story that I will be reporting on in the weeks to come.
We have been honored to produce a collectable mug for each conference since 1992 and are ready to unveil the tentative mock up for this years show in Austin, Texas. Working with Pat Hardy and JoAnn Bell was a joy for my father, Peter Deneen, and I an just as pleased to be working with the President and CEO of PAII today, Jay Karen.
If you are an innkeeper and are curious about PAII, and the Innkeeping Show click here: www.innkeepingshow.com
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Tags: collectable mug, Deneen Pottery, fieldstone glaze, Handmade Mug, handmade mug supplier
Posted in Announcements | 2 Comments »
December 14th, 2009
Just before Thanksgiving Tammie, owner of The Coffee Cup located in Cameron, OK, was searching google for handmade mugs when she came across our website. “I looked at others but your product, professionalism, and website blew the others away.” Now we have her design ready for approval and we are eagerly looking forward to working on her first order of custom mugs!
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Tags: Custom Mugs, handmade mugs
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December 10th, 2009
It’s a snowy COLD day here in Minnesota – single digit highs and -30º below at night with the wind chill.
Sorting through the importance of Facebook, and finding relavent material and ideas to share on a blog can be TOUGH. A few weeks back when I figured that I’d like to use our Facebook page to showcase ‘Innkeepers Mug Displays’ I was given a tip by Linda Hayes from the Inn at Riverbend in Pearlsburg, Virginia about her friend Selena. “You should get [a picture] from Selena at Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, her retail wall with your mugs is beautiful.”
What a setting -And the inside is even better!
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Tags: Deneen Pottery, Deneen Pottery mugs, handmade mugs, handmade stoneware mugs, mugs for innkeepers
Posted in News | 2 Comments »
November 27th, 2009
Chuck and Debbie Young, the innkeepers of Country Willow B&B, placed an order with us near the end of October. On this order they branched out just a bit more and added more new colors. On their last order of custom handmade mugs they brought on 2 new solid glazes to go with their traditional Lt. Teal… With more guests buying the new AND traditional color I suggested adding on another solid and a marble glazed mug as well. Here is what the 4 colors on this order look like:
Teal, Lt. Teal, Fieldstone, and Midnight Hunter White
I am really excited to hear how these new introductions go, but with the shipping time to Oregon we are going to have to wait until after this weekend. Chuck, Debbie and I were all hoping that this order of round belly mugs would arrive earlier…
Thanks for reading our blog!
Niles Deneen
Tags: custom handmade mugs, Round Belly Mug
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
November 19th, 2009
Option 1 - An classic example of 'backfill'
Option 2 - A traditional design.
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October 21st, 2009
When you work hard people take notice… Because we work REALLY hard on all of our orders, occasionally we hear back from our customers as they ‘take notice’ of their handmade stoneware mugs. Whether it is in the shape of a hand written card, letter, emails, or pictures, these notes are a joy to receive.
We recently received one such email from a wonderful customer in Vermont that first contacted us in May, ‘visionkeeper’ of Peace of Mind Emporium Julie White RN:
“We are Vermont’s Premier Stress Reduction Store and Wellness Center created by Nurses. Our name, Peace of Mind Emporium, and lovely buildings and grounds, draw people in who are looking for an oasis from their stress – filled lives. They often remark that they want to take a piece of Peace of Mind home with them after visiting in our store…”
Lovely Building and Gardens
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Tags: handmade stoneware, handmade stoneware mugs, Mugs made in the USA, USA made Mugs
Posted in Testimonials | 1 Comment »
September 24th, 2009
In the throws of summer we begin to prepare for the holidays… It’s crazy to have to think down the road 4 months, but when it comes to making handmade stoneware everything takes time!
In August we send out an email to all of our customers offering a free set-up for anyone that hasn’t ordered our ornaments, or 5 additional free ornaments to those that have ordered them in the past. We started doing this about 3 years ago and with that first special I received an email from Emily Hoche-Mong the Innkeeper at the Goose & Turrets:
“One Christmas season I gave all guests a handmade ornament from Deneen Pottery with my Goose & Turrets logo. One guest, a young lady from Australia, began to cry, and she flung her arms around my neck and said, “You are just so sweet, that’s the only present I’ve gotten this Christmas.” I will never forget that experience nor that Deneen Pottery was a part of it.
Here is what that ornament looks like:
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Tags: Christmas Ornaments, Deneen Pottery, handmade ornament, handmade stoneware, ornament, stoneware mugs, stoneware ornament
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
August 6th, 2009
This entry isn’t really about our custom handmade mugs, instead it is on our mascot Olive. In May of last year my wife Annie gave me a long awaited Christmas present in the form of a Mini-GoldenDoodle who we named Olive. She arrived weighing just over 3 pounds but took up a lot of space in our hearts!
The breeders wrote our name on her belly.
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Tags: custom handmade mugs, Custom Mugs
Posted in News | 11 Comments »