"NEWELL, WV - Homer Laughlin China & The Cookware Company plan to expand HLC's iconic Fiesta brand further into the kitchen via an exclusive license agreement for The Cookware Company to create an extensive Fiesta cookware assortment.
According to Rich Brinkman, vp/sales and marketing at Homer Laughlin, the cookware launch is part of a five-year strategy to build Fiesta into a 'lifestyle' brand. The company has branched out from the brand's tabletop roots in the past to include textiles, serveware, bakeware and kitchenware, as well as the upcoming cookware program. 'We had a planned launch of products over five years,' Brinkman said.
'We wanted to create a program so the entire kitchen experience could be Fiesta,' said Brinkman, adding that the company introduced the products in a staggered approach, whether licensed or from HLC, to allow the consumer and retailers to easily follow the progression of the brand expansion.
HLC chose to license the Fiesta brand to The Cookware Company, known for its Green Pan cookware, in part, because of Thermolon - the ceramic non-stick interior the company is recognized for, Brinkman added. 'We had to make sure we did this right and did it differently. The ceramic non-stick puts a different spin on the cookware," he said.
For The Cookware Company, rolling out a cookware launch under the Fiesta brand will be the Belgian-based cookware manufacturer gain a stronger foothold in the United States.
'We have been seeking a much stronger presence in the U.S. market. With the iconic brand, Fiesta, we have found ourselves the right partner to develop a new cookware line,' said Dieter Naessens, vp/USA for The Cookware Company.
The cookware assortment will launch in a three-pronged approach, intended to span a variety of cooking styles, at next month's International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago. Under the new Fiesta cookware program will be stainless steel, enameled cast iron and aluminum cookware that will feature the ceramic non-stick interior. Starting the cookware program with the three materials enables the company to cover a variety of consumer preferences, said Naessens.
The stainless steel, which will feature a triply base, will feature Fiesta colors on its silicone handles, while the aluminum and cast iron cookware pieces will feature colors on the cooking vessel exteriors, said Brinkman. Initial Fiesta cookware colors will include scarlet, cobalt, ivory and turquoise.
'The new cookware license is more than just color - it's about delivering ease, functionality and durability as our customers have come to expect from Fiesta,' said Brinkman. 'To many of our customers, the Fiesta brand is what my mother or grandmother had, and the quality that I have come to expect from Homer Laughlin. The Fiesta brand merges yesterday with today to conjure up memories of the past and create new memories with today's dining and food prep experiences.'
Fiesta cookware will be positioned at retail in the same channels as Fiesta tabletop and other Fiesta-branded products, such as department stores, specialty stores an online retailers. Keeping Fiesta-branded products together not only creates a cohesive brand statement, it also allows retailers run promotions across the brand, said Brinkman.
'With Fiesta cookware, we can combine stovetop and tabletop and it will all match perfectly. The Fiesta customer can now buy a variety of housewares from the same trusted Fiesta name in the same colors and quality,' The Cookware Company's Naessens added.
According to both Brinkman and Naessens, the new Fiesta cookware will be available as an open-stock program initially with sets added later on."
I apologize if I have any typo's.
