Made in America
| The Autumn season is upon us here at the factory and that means it’s time to start into the never ending list of tasks that were put off during the hectic busy season. That means tidying up, equipment repairs, factory improvements, staff changes and starting to think about new items for 2013. It also gives us time to think about the past year and with it the improvements, setbacks, discoveries and challenges that come with manufacturing. We are happy we’ve chosen to grow our little factory here in America despite the challenges, it’s hard to imagine what we would have missed out on had we outsourced the operation. Thanks again for supporting JJ Potts, we appreciate it.-JJ Potts |
Working Late
| It’s the busy season and we’re working late to get your orders out! We like the busy season, it means early mornings and a few late nights but it also means Spring is on the way. The shop is buzzing right now and we hope your pleased with this years Shroomyz crop. As always we appreciate our wonderful dealers, we think they are the best in the business.-JJ Potts |
The Good Ol’ Days
| I stumbled across this classic picture a few days ago and the memories of the early days at the mushroom factory came flooding back. This was taken in the summer of 2004. We had just finished making and packaging an order for Anthropologie (our biggest order to date) and we decided to celebrate a bit. I think it took us a few weeks to make that order and we were pretty proud of it. Pictured right to left are: myself, Pete (mold pourer), Dave (mushroom painter), Erika (real artist), Scott (trimmer & kiln loader), Scott (mushroom stem roller), Jason (mold pourer), Brayden (mushroom stem roller), Jeremy (mushroom painter) and Gavin (packager). The “old shop” was a one room warehouse with a garage door on the front. In the summer with all the kilns firing, it essentially turned into an oven. I remember one really hot summer day looking at the digital temperature gauge on one of our kilns that wasn’t firing and it read 125 degrees farenheit. Everyone in the picture has since moved on with their lives and careers, but a lot of crazy memories are left behind from the days in the “old shop” on Simpson Avenue.-Jeremy
JJ Potts |
Now Harvesting!
| Well, we’ve been busy here at the Shroomery these last couple of months creating a brand new crop of Shroomyz. We hope to be harvesting and shipping most of the great new shapes by early February just in time for the Spring rush. When we set out to create a new item or a new Shroomy we never know exactly what it will turn out like. We just hold our breath and hope for the best. We think these new Shroomyz turned out great and will be a welcome addition to the rest of the Shroomyz family!-The JJ Potts Team |
Fairy Shroomyz, the newest member of the Family.
| Fairy Shroomyz are the newest and smallest creation from the Shroomery at JJ Potts. These tiny Shroomyz are making their way into terrariums, miniature gardens and fairy gardens for Spring 2012. These tiny mushrooms were a fun undertaking. After receiving many inquiries if Shroomyz were compatible with fairies, we looked into it and can now say Yes! -The JJ Potts Team |
Meet Mr Bud Ballenger
| Just last week we took a break and skipped out of the factory for a few days to head to Chicago for the IGC garden trade show. We always look forward to meeting with our customers, and this year we had the chance to spend some time with Shroomyz sales champion Bud Ballenger on his 80th birthday. It was 11 years ago this year that Bud found the first crop of Shroomyz that a family friend had displayed in his booth at the Las Vegas Hardware Show. Bud spotted those first homely Shroomyz and agreed to take them back to California and see what he could do with them. The Bud-Shroomyz combination was an instant hit. He introduced Shroomyz to some of the best garden centers in California and has kept us scrambling to try and keep up with him ever since. When I finally twisted buds arm and convinced him to tell me his real age last week, the first words out of his mouth were “do you want to have a foot race”? I politely declined knowing Buds personality and that he still runs a few miles 3 or 4 days a week. We’ve been lucky to have Bud with us ever since, he’s been there to reprimand us when our customer service or quality wasn’t up to snuff and to encourage and inspire when we needed some motivation. However those that know Bud best know that the real secret to his success and bounce in his step is his good wife Gloria. She flawlessly runs the office and finances while Bud is out on the road making his sales calls, they truly are an amazing team. Happy 80th Bud!-The JJ Potts Team |
Here’s to 10 years!
Here’s to 10 Years!
-Jeremy
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