From Louisville Business First via The Frankfort Avenue Business Association
May 2, 2024
Updated May 2, 2024 3:33pm EDT
One of Louisville’s most iconic businesses is getting revamped.
Hadley Pottery has begun renovations to the more than 175-year-old building at 1570 Story Avenue in Butchertown that the ceramic maker has called home since its founding in 1945.
The three story, 30,665-square-foot former textile factory is being modernized with new plumbing and electric, refurbished windows, new bathrooms, a remodeled sales floor, a new shipping and receiving area, new signage, a new kiln and HVAC system, bringing air conditioning to the building for the first time, CEO Gregg Rochman told Business First.
The company is also remodeling the third floor into a space for gatherings, such as dinners and ceramic classes. Rochman said the project will be completed by the end of the year and cost more than six figures but declined to give a specific number. Construction on the building is expected to cost $600,000, according to a permit filed with Louisville Metro Planning and Design.
Hadley was founded in 1945 by Mary Alice Hadley, who wanted sturdier dishes for the houseboat she owned with her husband George. Her designs spread to stores across the globe earning her the Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1952.
The renovations come 18 months after Hadley was purchased by Rochman’s business partner, local investor and philanthropist Brook Smith. Months earlier Hadley had announced it would be closing after 80 years in business. Smith was also able to buy the building for $2.72 million, according to Jefferson County PVA records.
Rochman said Smith bought the business with the intention of bringing it back to life in its Butchertown location. He said doing the renovations while the business is still operating is like “fixing the plane while we fly it.”
“We closed [the deal] in November 2022 and I already underwritten the business and had somewhat of an idea of what would be needed to stabilize it. The short story is new equipment, modern marketing techniques, some business and administrative procedures that can be made more efficient,” Rochman said. “Brook’s goal was to bring this factory back to its former glory. …It’s going to look like a jewel when we’re done.”
The most public-facing change will be the new sales floor, which is overseen by Hadley Sales and Marketing Manager Sarah Baker. While the majority of Hadley’s business is in e-commerce, the company sells “seconds” — pottery with a minor defect, such as a paint smudge — at a discount inside its facility.
Baker said the sales floor will be redesigned to create more flow between aisles. The museum space showcasing older pieces will be expanded and an area for live music will be added.
Baker said it’s important for the sales area to be more customer friendly while still keeping the nostalgia that “Hadicts” — a term for fans of Hadley’s work — have come to love.
Louisville's M.A. Hadley American Pottery recently discovered some historic and original pieces in a vault at its headquarters. The originals were made by founder Mary Alice Hadley. They are selling some of the 6,000 or so pieces at the Butchertown site. The pieces are about 40 years old.
“We have a great space to work with. A lot of its features create an emotional charge for people,” Baker said. “It’s still going to be a place where people can come for seconds. …But I really come at it from the angle of experiential retail. That’s we have lit candles and play happy music and most the time on Saturdays have lemonade, coffee or mimosas. We want to create this party atmosphere. And with our sales staff we want it to feel like family.”
The third floor will be used for research and development, which Rochman said the company doesn’t currently have space dedicated to. The area will enable Hadley to create new shapes and make some of its current design better, he said. Employees will also be able to use the space for their own art.
The third floor will also be used for events, classes or any number of uses Rochman said he’s still coming up with.
Rochman said over time, the company plans to add new buildings to the 3.5 acre property, including possibly a hotel, restaurant, apartments, a training facility and live music venue.
The company has 35 employees, he said, 22 of whom are full time.
