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Paul Baughman is a seasoned tabletop exec who has steadily
built the business he acquired seven years ago, BIA Cordon Bleu, into a
well-rounded tableware supplier. With a résumé laden with stints at Orrefors,
Libbey, Boda Nova, and IKEA (with so many Swedish resources, yes, he’s fluent in
the language), the MBA decided to pursue a longtime dream of running his own
show. Baughman recognized the growth potential in the 50-year BIA brand known
then primarily for its whiteware gourmet-styled tabletop collections. Since the
turn of the century, the exec stepped up BIA’s product development, a longtime
specialty, veering off into decorated and glazed collections, virtually doubling
sales. In addition, the 47-year-old CEO started taking on existing European
lines to distribute, including Philippe Deshoulieres, the luxe French dinnerware
producer, thereby setting into motion the chain of events which brought flatware
to BIA. Phillipe Deshoulieres purchased the flailing French flatware firm SCOF
four years ago, but that failed to ignite. In 2002, two longtime SCOF execs
veered off with a third partner (the financial backer) to form their own
flatware enterprise, Capdeco. (The company name is indeed capitalized.) It’s
this enterprise which Baughman has distributed since the summer.
The no-nonsense, mile-a-minute Baughman banter coupled with an analytical,
straight-forward approach to operating a business helps explain why BIA’s growth
is double digits annually for this lean, mean family-operated company. With
offices in South San Francisco and a 100,000-square-foot warehouse nearby in
Sacramento, Baughman who admits he’s “married to the company” is optimistic
about the latest addition to the fold. “These guys know how to make flatware,”
Baughman begins. Capdeco is a five-year, private, multimillion-dollar enterprise
comprised of 15 artisans who work with a variety of colored resin and
multilayered ash wood handles. (The material comes from Italy, but the handles
are all manufactured by CAPDECO.) The high-end, dishwasher-safe,
highly-varnished pieces are assembled in the heart of France in Thiers, a region
well-known for its proliferation of cutlers. (In fact, 75% of all of France’s
cutlery production is located in Thiers.)
Here, in a 20,000-square-foot workshop, the three owners (each with respective,
complementary talents) oversee the business named for the merging of deco (for
decoration) and cap (a sailing term), which created a name they thought had a
high-art connotation. “After so many years working in the industry,” Baughman
notes, “they wanted to create a company that offered a complete selection of
flatware at a new level of artistry and technology. Here’s an upscale product
that adds a touch of color and a hint of glamor to the table.” The
deeply-accessorized, dishwasher-safe collections (including fish forks, butter
knives, and knife rests, among other items) were developed with the French
market in mind, but the owners are hopeful of exporting a significant chunk of
production, particularly to the U.S. (Currently, 20% of production is exported,
mainly to neighboring countries like Italy, Belgium, and Germany.)
While the collections are new for the States, Baughman sees great potential for
the scratch-resistant polymers and rich woods. A variety of colors – mother of
pearl, sage, ruby, agate, amethyst, sapphire, coral, lilac, cherry, black, white
– on 15 patterns (four of those are wood) and 14 different shapes retail from
$90 to $320, a five-piece place setting. (The average price point is $110.)
“Capdeco’s classic, timeless designs hold up and work well in any environment,”
Baughman vows. Upscale gift-boxed sets, knife blocks, and resin kitchen gadgets
– aimed at the giftware market – are expected to launch later in the year.
continued . . . .
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