Shopping for Fiestaware? This holiday season, supply-chain snarls and a lack of skilled workers mean the 150-year-old company can't keep up with demand
U.S.-based production has been a plus for the Fiesta Tableware Co., a 150-year-old maker of Art Deco glazed dinnerware, amid global supply-chain snags. But like other companies, it has also encountered labor, materials and transportation challenges.“We are in a great situation for our company, but we can’t fill our orders because we need workers,” said Fiesta President Elizabeth McIlvain, a fourth-generation owner.
Making a single piece of dinnerware involves at least eight steps. Fiesta has automated some processes to keep costs down, but making cups, vases, pitchers and many other items remains labor-intensive.Fiesta has nearly 500 employees. At least 150 workers decided not to return when the factory reopened after nonessential businesses were forced to close due to Covid-19. The company has filled some openings but is still looking for 50 more staffers.
Skilled positions, starting at $15 an hour with benefits, are hardest to fill. Staffers in those roles include dippers, who spray ceramic pieces with glaze, and machinery operators such as Aaron Cunningham, who makes cups and bowls. Roughly 25% of Fiesta’s orders shipped late this October due to staffing shortages and difficulties obtaining corrugation for packaging.
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