January 2, 2019

As 2019 begins and companies are looking to the future, many are also recalling their past and how it affects their brand today. While the economy continues to grow and trends evolve quickly, manufacturers know that a history of success is significant to their outlook. KBB spoke with four kitchen and bath manufacturers to find out more about their beginnings, how they’ve grown and their plans for the coming years.

Antolini
Core Identity: Antolini’s mission is to offer a unique and varied selection of stone colors, patterns and finishes.
Beginnings: Founded by Luigi Antolini in 1956, the company processes and markets natural stones, bringing out their innate beauty through a combination of master craftsmanship and technological innovation.

Hubbardton Forge
Core Identity: Hubbardton Forge is one of the country’s oldest and largest commercial forges operating today and is known for its hand-crafted lighting products.
Beginnings: The company was founded in a Hubbardton, Vt., barn in 1974 by two University of Vermont graduates who embarked in an artistic, entrepreneurial adventure to create products of high-quality craftsmanship.

MrSteam
Core Identity: MrSteam aims to bring wellness to the world with its steam shower systems.
Beginnings: In 1917, Arthur Sussman designed and patented the world’s first electric steam iron for use in garment factories. Over the last 101 years, the company has grown into the largest manufacturer of electric steam boilers in the world. In 1960, Sussman Automatic was among the first companies to market steam shower systems for private residences when they first launched MrSteam.

Stone Forest
Core Identity: Stone Forest crafts award-winning designs for the bath, kitchen and garden, sculpted from stone, bronze, copper, iron, bamboo and wood.
Beginnings: Founder Mike Zimber began his relationship with stone in his early 20s. He worked as a climbing and river guide for more than 10 years, and in his spare time he would sculpt blocks of stone from the rock cliffs he was scaling. His love of the outdoors and the organic beauty he saw became a calling, and he decided to bring that beauty into people’s homes and gardens with Stone Forest.

                                                  The Copper Farmsink from Stone Forest

KBB: How has your company adjusted to challenges over the years?
“At Antolini, we love natural stone and we work with passion and devotion. We believe that natural stone is an unparalleled material created by Mother Nature, and when you have the privilege to see how it is originated, the emotion is even greater. Every year we launch new collections and materials to reflect this.” – Tom Van Daele, Antolini

“Our designers come from diverse backgrounds in architecture, engineering and even jewelry design. They possess a wealth of knowledge and a deep respect for all art forms. They work individually and as a team, brainstorming, sketching, meeting and critiquing, often pushing themselves and each other to create designs that celebrate form, materials and artistry that can only be achieved through handcrafted design.” – Jeanne-Marie Gand, vice president of marketing Hubbardton Forge

“MrSteam has evolved under the leadership of a president who is an industrial designer, continually reimagining the commercial and residential spa experience. The company was the first to market with swipe-touch controls for wet rooms, the first with a wireless steam shower control and the first with a linear steam head. The leadership has long advanced the concept of the bathroom as a home wellness center, well before spa bathrooms became part of the culture.” – Martha Orellana, vice president of sales and marketing, MrSteam

“Stone Forest is always evolving, and the favorite part of my job is when I discover new stone materials. There’s always something we find that would be perfect for a new collection. We are constantly thinking of new ways to incorporate natural elements into our products. We also don’t always stick to traditional designs and have moved the brand aesthetic toward contemporary, architectural products.” – Mike Zimber, founder, Stone Forest

                          An artisan works in Hubbardton Forge’s Castleton, Vt.-based factory

KBB: How has the company stayed the same over time?
“Antolini always extracts stones with expertise and passion from the best quarries in the entire world, placing them at the service of the most creative minds and beauty lovers.” –Van Daele, Antolini

“In an age when companies are increasingly moving their manufacturing and service offshore, Hubbardton Forge is steadfastly committed to designing, manufacturing and serving its customers from under one roof in Vermont. We feel manufacturing domestically allows a level of responsiveness to customers we couldn’t otherwise provide, enables partnerships between departments creating a better workplace, keeps well-paying jobs in the U.S. and helps strengthen our local economy.” – Gand, Hubbardton Forge

“MrSteam has held onto a strong value system of how to treat customers, business partners and employees. Also staying the same is its commitment to its New York City roots. Sussman Automatic manufactured in Manhattan until the early 1960’s, when the company moved to its present-day headquarters and manufacturing operation in Long Island City.” – Orellana, MrSteam

“What remains the same to our brand identity is that all our architectural designs are sculpted from natural materials such as stone, bronze, copper, iron, bamboo and hardwood. The concept behind the materials we use is that even though we create functional fixtures, they still connect you with the natural environment. Stone Forest’s collections continue to include an extensive selection of vessel and pedestal sinks, bathtubs, furniture, fountains and outdoor sculptures.” – Zimber, Stone Forest

                                      Antolini’s Stone Gallery in Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Italy

KBB: Why is your company’s history important to its identity today?
“Passion and consistency mark the path of tradition, while craftsmanship and technology blaze a trail in the present.” –Van Daele, Antolini

“In an age of mass-produced, machine-made products, many companies have abandoned the right way of doing things in favor of maximizing profits. We believe doing things the right way is the only way to do business. We make products where the craftsmanship and skill clearly shows. Our family of artisans combines traditional craft knowledge with modern techniques and one-of-a-kind tools we’ve created to give you a piece of Vermont history that holds enduring value.”  – Gand, Hubbardton Forge

“Steam is in MrSteam’s DNA. The technical excellence required to make large boilers for use in naval ships, hospital operating rooms, luxury resorts and the Kennedy Space Center assures consistent performance of its home steam shower generators. What mattered to Arthur Sussman still matters today: being the best at what we do.” – Orellana, MrSteam

“Stone Forest has been creating contemporary elements for the kitchen, bath and landscape using natural materials since 1989. Before Stone Forest, no other brand had utilized these naturally forming materials in ways that made them perfect for both interior products and as garden objects. What makes our identity unique is that we still remain hands on and spend a large part of every year traveling around the world visiting quarries and sourcing materials in pursuit of sustainable stones and materials.” – Zimber, Stone Forest