Welcome to the Small Surprise Spotlight, presented by Alamance County Visitors Bureau. We’re uncovering hidden gems in Alamance County that might be closer than you think!
This month’s feature is Haand – a local handmade pottery company making uniquely and sustainably crafted ceramic tableware, including plates, bowls, mugs, home goods, and more. Shop their collection online at haand.us or visit their showroom in downtown Burlington.
- Tell us about the history of the Haand and how you came to be what you are today.
Haand was started in 2012 by two childhood best friends. Mark Warren had just finished a fellowship at Penland School of Crafts in Mitchell County, North Carolina, and Chris Pence was coming from a career in corporate accounting. They launched Haand’s first line of handmade tableware focused on the brand pillars of craft and sustainability. Those early years were in Durham and Eli Whitney, North Carolina. In 2017, we moved to downtown Burlington, NC, and currently employ 30 people.
We’ve supplied handmade tableware to restaurants and chefs around the world, honing our product offering in some of the most rigorous conditions pottery can experience. In 2020, our retail sales grew to match our hospitality sales. Now, when a dish leaves our workshop, it has about a 50/50 chance of ending up in a restaurant or in a home.
2. Why is Burlington and Alamance County such a great place for you to do business?
Just about a mile off I-40’s Exit 145 , Haand is perfectly located right in the heart of central North Carolina… only 30 minutes from Durham, Chapel Hill, and Greensboro, and one hour from Raleigh and Winston-Salem. This area is rich not only with pottery history, but also with manufacturing history. Haand makes over 75,000 pieces each year of handmade pottery in our workshop at the corner of Tucker and Maple Streets in what was originally the Willowbrook Hosiery Mill. This location has given us access to our customers and clients, our potters, and a creative community.
3. What are some of the things that make Haand and the objects you create unique?
Since every piece is made by hand, there are no two pieces that are exactly alike. Each potter has a special mark stamped on the bottom of each piece, a nod to the soul that’s been added to each object through craft. But, thanks to our expertise in restaurant tableware, even with small differences everything is still designed to stack perfectly on your kitchen shelves.
4. What kinds of local activities do you recommend customers explore when they visit Alamance County?
Spend as much time as you can exploring our Haw River! Hike around Glencoe Mill Village, or kayak from Swepsonville to Saxapahaw (Haw River Canoe can help you do that!). Then stop at Left Bank Butchery and bring home the finest local meats for your grill: this year they were voted one of the best butcher shops in America by Food & Wine Magazine!
5. What is something about Alamance County that most people don’t know?
The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation has a beautiful and educational exhibit about the history of this area at their Tribal Grounds at 4902 Dailey Store Road in Burlington.
6. What is your favorite thing about Haand?
Our people. We are proud to work with so many creative local potters who lend their craft to the work we do. They are our brand.
7. How does Haand hope to grow in the future?
We want to grow in our connection with our local community! Our showroom is now open six days/week. If you’re interested in coming for a tour of our manufacturing process, learning more about Haand, or working together, please email our Community Manager Anna at anna@haand.us or DM us on Instagram!
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Haand’s products are restaurant-tested and featured on the tables of over 200 of the finest restaurants around the world. You can dine in elegance from the comfort of your own home when you shop their collection online at haand.us or visit their showroom in downtown Burlington. Sign up for their email list to get 15% off your first order!
The Small Surprise Spotlight is made possible by Alamance County Visitors Bureau. The towns and villages of Alamance County are full of small surprises – amazing restaurants, beautiful green spaces, unique art, and much more. Which hidden gem will you uncover first?
Hear May’s Small Surprise Spotlight below.
