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Fiesta Tableware celebrates 90 years

By KRISTI R. GARABRANDT 4 min read

NEWELL - For Liz McIlvan, president/owner of Fiesta Tableware Company, Friday was an emotional day filled with pride and happiness and as she along with family celebrated the 90th anniversary of the family owned and operated business.

Fiesta Tableware Company is the last local pottery to remain in business locally. The company, which McIlvane proudly says is an American company producing its product in America and providing jobs for approximately 300 people locally, produces simple but elegant tableware in a new vivid color that is revealed in January each year.

It was in 2012 that the family started to produce a new color annually and build up suspense and hype which causes people to get excited about it. This year's color was lavender which, according to McIlvane, the Fiesta collectors have been asking for for some time. She went on to say they already had the color developed, but they opted to hold it back for this occasion, the 90th year, because it has been such an in-demand color, and there has been a great demand for it since they released the color.

Maggie McIlvain Kuntz, marketing director and McIlvan's daughter, said that color is such a difficult color to get right, but they wanted to make sure it was perfect for the 90th year.

Family history

McIlvan is a fourth-generation owner of the company, following her father, grandfather and great-grandfather, with her children learning how it operates as the fifth generation to work there and learn the business.

Family members that work in the business include daughters Arin Gallick, Katie Bricker and Maggie McIlvane Kuntz, who serves as the marketing director, husband Jack and nephew Matt Wicks, who is the chief operating officer.

McIlvan said her daughters are currently learning the business while working, and her nephew is very involved and is a very important cog in the whole operation.

McIlvane noted that the company has two huge collector groups that pretty much act as the company's public relations with the job they do, promoting the company and getting the fiesta name through conventions and coming into the plant for tours and they absolutely love it.

90th Anniversary Celebration

The McIlvane family celebrated the 90th anniversary of the company together, hosting a special celebration to "reflect nine decades of vibrant colors, timeless design and proud Virginian manufacturing," Kuntz said in a media release.

McIlvane said it was important to celebrate an American made brand with the people.

Attendees at the celebration were able to view a 58 color tablescapes featuring all the colors the company has ever made displayed together for the first time, had the option to purchase an exclusive 90th anniversary Fiesta Tableware shot glass, coaster and magnet which was exclusive to those attending, as well as enjoy prizes, games and more.

The company also hosted a large tent sale where a large number of Fiesta collectors stood in the rain holding umbrellas to stay dry while waiting for their turn to enter the tents. They also conducted an online auction to give collectors the chance to purchase Fiesta Tableware pieces.

Additionally, attendees to the event were able to paint a plate which the company would fire for them, take part in factory tours and learn about the history of the pottery.

"There is a lot going on, but it's a big celebration; a big deal, 90 years," McIlvane said.

McIlvane said she is proud to have the legacy of her grandfather, father and brother live on and even though the company had a nearly 15-year period where Fiesta in the mid 1970s-1980s was not produced, when the brand was reintroduced, it overtook America.

"I think for so many people who collect it, when we didn't produce it, people were finding it in flea markets, estate sales and auctions, and they were clamoring for us to reintroduce it, which in 1986, we did," McIlvane said.

McIlvane said Fiesta has been able to survive because of its popularity and because it is very important to her and her family to keep the community working and keep the jobs alive in the Tri-State area. She also noted that the brand is a lifestyle brand and that makes people want to buy it, as she pointed out the tent full of customers and more waiting in the rain to shop.

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