La Ceramica and Hausbrandt

During the first two weeks in Molly Rapert Global Consumer course, our class has had the unique opportunity to visit and explore the manufacturing/production process of two local businesses here in northern Italy, La Ceramica VBC and Hausbrandt.

La Ceramica V.B.C. is a local ceramic designer and manufacturer that creates pottery by hand. They source the pottery for companies such as Tiffany & Co., Williams-Sanoma, and Pottery Barn. We saw each step of the production process, from shaping the clay, to hand finishing, cooking, and decorating. Walking through their entire production process from start to finish allowed our class to see the exceptional detail and passion put into each step. Different pieces of pottery were made in different ways, depending on where they were aiming to sell the item. Certain brands may want identical pottery while others want each piece to be unique. The most special aspect of the experience to me was knowing that it was a family run business—most of the employees had been working there for a long time.

Our second field trip was a visit to Hausbrandt, one of the largest coffee roasters in northern Italy. We were able to see the entire coffee roasting process as well as the brewing process for their Theresianer beer. Hausbrandt sells worldwide, operating in over 90 countries. During the tour, we saw a lot of different machinery that facilitated the process. This was very different from La Ceramica, as everything there was handmade. While the pottery is often made to order, the coffee and beer must meet consistent standards that can only be fulfilled with high-tech machinery.

On both field trips, I was in awe of how cohesive the production processes were and how much passion everyone had. Stefania Liberali walked us through the brewing process for Theresianer, Nadia Moro walked us through the coffee roasting process, and Andrea Venzo walked us through the ceramics--they were all so knowledgeable and kind. Thank you for taking the time to show us around! I continue to learn so much every day I step into Molly Rapert class—I look forward to the company visits to come!