Opinion
Beatriz Ball, founder, Beatriz Ball “My thoughts on 2021? To quote Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. In the “best” category, the year was one of great growth and expansion for us. We introduced over 200 new products and added new categories. We have outgrown our three current warehouses and are moving to a new larger facility at the top of the year. We are excited about the strengthening of our branding and introducing more fabulous designs in 2022. In the “worst” category, the ongoing supply chain issues and the rising cost of
materials are definite challenges. Added to these, New Orleans was struck by a devastating Category 5 hurricane in late August, which of course interrupted our business flow for many weeks. Happily, our distribution is primarily concentrated in the US and Canada, so the international shipping crisis has not been an issue for us in the export category. Furthermore, our Mexico-based foundry still manufactures the bulk of our merchandise, so we are not negatively impacted there, as our transborder supply chain continues uninterrupted.”
The year
in review As 2021 draws to a close, we asked the industry to sum the year up, from challenges such as supply chain issues through to successes in increased sales, here is what they told us… “As we come through the pandemic, pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels have been looking for ways to upgrade consumer experience. The hospitality industry has been stop-start for the last year. As restaurants, hotels, bars and pubs establish themselves as back in action, diners are looking forward more than ever to the experience hospitality can offer. With that in mind, Bolsius Professional has created a report which highlights the importance of ambiance within hospitality venues and explains, via research, that creating the right ambiance in a venue is a paramount. The guide highlights just how important ambiance is to the hospitality venues. In fact, over 90 per cent of people surveyed for the report felt that ambiance is an important factor when deciding to visit a restaurant.” Paul Christodoulou, national account manager UK & Ireland, Bolsius Professional
10 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
Dr Simon Attila, chief executive officer, Herend “We see the challenges as opportunities for the Herend Porcelain Manufactory to reach an even higher level. They help us to be successful and for Herend to remain a world-leading porcelain manufactory. We face the challenges of increasing sales, sustainability, market acquisition, flexibility, foresight, product development creativity, increasing efficiency, innovation, increasing employee wages, social and customer utility, professional prestige, meeting customer needs, digital intelligence, and the global health and economic crisis caused by Covid. Herend stood its ground in 2021 as well; other porcelain companies envy us and recognise our achievements. We adhere
to our principles of corporate governance, not to complain, to find joy in everything, to show in trouble what we are capable of, and to have reserves that we can rely on. At the Herend porcelain manufactory, we are working hard on our novelties for 2022, which we will soon be showcasing in our sales network of about 60 countries. If you want to buy high-quality, handmade and handpainted porcelain, Herend is still an option not to be overlooked.”
