continued. . . 

The collections are targeted to independent retailers, a well-cultivated BIA channel, thanks to its distribution of Philippe Deshoulieres and Royal Limoges. “Because this is not an inexpensive product, we have to work well with our accounts to explain the craftsmanship and the expensive materials used,” Baughman acknowledges. “There will be quite a bit of marketing going on at our end.” (Including trade advertising.)
Baughman is hopeful of opening up 75 Capdeco accounts and forecasts a million-dollar U.S. operation by 2012. This newest addition to Baughman’s burgeoning business promises to hold a learning curve for the exec. “I’m not a flatware king,” he chuckles. “Not yet. There are certainly plenty of resin handle products available so our work is cut out for us educating retailers and end-users. We’ll have sales training materials for our reps to work with stores.”

In an interview five years ago – after Baughman purchased BIA – he reckoned his growing operation had the “potential to be an A+ business before too long.” With a growing slate of dependable upstairs brands to complement his popular downstairs mainstays, Baughman has successfully bridged the gap to offer a wide range of products, materials, and price points to the company’s growing retailer roster. “It’s always nice to be a more important vendor to our accounts,” Baughman agrees. “We work hard for them and our growth proves we’re doing something right.”