Sep 26, 2009

Formation Brands, LLC Acquires Clay Art

San Francisco, California – Expanding its creative footprint in the gift and tabletop arena, San Francisco-based Formation Brands, LLC announces the acquisition of Clay Art, 30-year-old producer of distinctive, hand-painted ceramic tabletop and novelty gift products.

Formation, a longtime private label supplier to major merchants, has carved its own singular niche over the past several years with the landmark Slant Collections, a bold, contemporary glassware and tabletop line that has captivated the industry with its edgier aesthetic and pioneering use of the latest design techniques, and the Stir product family of playful, interactive mugs and accessories, An invigorated Clay Art will unveil its new fall collection this October.

“We’re extremely pleased to welcome Clay Art into the fold. It’s just a tremendous brand with a well-established history of bringing unique and creative product to market,” says Mark Shepherd, CEO, Formation Brands. “It was really a perfect fit. There’s a huge amount of synergy between the companies and our mutual desire to really push the envelope in terms of innovative technique and design.”

Expect a fresher, funkier Clay Art this fall, says Leslie Miller, Executive Vice President of Sales, who hints that the new collection will benefit from the same original thinking and trend-forward approach characterized by Slant. Two years ago, Slant caused a sensation in the market upon its launch, demonstrating a willingness to raise the creative bar by embracing then rarely seen coatings and production techniques such as laser cutting, metal plating and sandblasting. For Clay Art, that means equally advanced production techniques applied to the brand’s well-established bas relief and signature hand-painted designs.

“Our objective with Clay Art, as with all our products, is to really capture our customers’ imaginations,” says Miller. “You’re going to see that philosophy and aesthetic represented through brighter, more colorful, more engaging tabletop and accessory items.”

Key individuals from Clay Art, including Karen Funkhouser, Vice President of Sales, will transition to the Formation team. The distinctive Slant sensibility will also come to bear on the Clay Art fall collection launch with the introduction of complementary glassware into the line for the first time, designed by Stefani Gray, Director of Product Development at Formation and the creative visionary behind Slant’s eye-catching looks.

Clay Art, which has altered its direction in recent years, also plans to bring back a new selection of novelty products, a particular favorite of its independent customer base, this fall. The company enjoyed early success and earned a loyal following among appreciative consumers over the years for its engaging, “affordable art” novelty gift items, which soon became cherished collectibles, including cookie jars and salt and pepper shakers.

Customers will get their first look at the new Clay Art collection in October at the Tabletop Show in New York City, where the fall collections for Slant and Stir will also be on display.

Also announced, customers will now be able to order and re-order products from Clay Art, Slant and Stir directly from the brands’ new wholesale websites, accessible through the main sites.

“Already we’re seeing a strong reaction to our Slant and Stir fall lines, and we’re confident our customers will be equally enamored of the Clay Art launch. Our new wholesale sites will make it easier than ever for customers to order what they need, when they need it, simply by signing on,” explains Miller. “Between the enhancements we’ve made to our customer experience and the increasing breadth and depth of our tabletop offerings, it’s an extremely exciting time for us.”

Founded in San Francisco, Formation Brands LLC has chartered a unique course in the giftware and tabletop industries. The company is parent to Slant Collections, a bold selection of tabletop and entertaining accessories merging traditional elegance with contemporary flair; Stir Collections, a broad line of playful interactive mugs and accessories; and Clay Art, a collection of distinctive, hand-painted ceramic tabletop and novelty gift items. Formation Brands LLC is also a private label supplier to major retailers including Starbucks, Walmart, and Stein Mart.