During our time in Vermont, multiple trips to Simon Pearce are always in order. There is a fabulous restaurant, pottery making and, of course, glassblowing.
When you enter the store, there is a video running with Simon talking about the history of his business, his decision to come to America from Ireland in 1981 to build his mill and shop, and what inspires him to take the company forward. The business is private and I do not know how big or profitable it is. However, I do know they have approximately 300 employees, a 190,000 s.f. facility in Maryland and another restaurant in Brandywine, Pennsylvania. Over 300,000 people visit the Vermont mill annually.
So why write about Simon Pearce? Because the business is about the art and the integrity of Simon’s vision in its production. He talks of his apprenticeship, his years spent working with his father (a potter) and a master Irish glassmaker he admired. The brand is mass luxury and you can see the brand direction at every turn in the store and the restaurant. It is equally well presented at the retailers where Simon’s products are distributed. Apologies to the webmasters, but the site does not sell the brand well — too flat and commercial for me. But, then again, the site does its job of presenting the company’s products and doesn’t alienate its core customers.
Although I am sure sales are off this year, based on the traffic I saw at the store in Vermont and casual conversations with the store’s managers, it does not look like the company is remotely close to suffering the same fate as its competitors like Waterford Wedgewood and Mikasa. Not to say that Simon Pearce doesn’t face enormous competition. It does. However, Simon Pearce succeeds because of the clarity of its brand (and glass) and the legion of fans it has cultivated during its 28 year history in the United States.
I hear all the time how the new new is going to overtake the master craftsman. A young designer, planner, photographer, florist with a great website, blog and all things social media getting the business over those with far more experience (and style). Simon Pearce is a lesson for those of you who are truly craftsmen not to compete at the level of the new new, but to honor the skill and artistry only a true craftsman can bring to the art. The slicker your competition is, the purer your art should be.
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Wow! Fantastic. Just watched the video and his creativeness and loving adherence to vision is truly inspiring. And now I have a destination idea in Vermont!
I have long loved the artistry of Simon Pearce. I adore the few pieces I own of his glass.
Great post Sean, especially these words: “Simon Pearce is a lesson for those of you who are truly craftsmen not to compete at the level of the new new, but to honor the skill and artistry only a true craftsman can bring to the art. The slicker your competition is, the purer your art should be.”