Hagen-Renaker: the End of an Era

Wednesday, Kristina Lucas Francis posted a special announcement about the California Hagen-Renaker factory on the Hagen-Renaker Collectors Club Facebook page. With her kind permission, that announcement is posted below. 

Please note that since Kristina is not available online much, she cannot answer questions scattered across various social media platforms, (including this blog.) She has asked me to share that her availability for responding to questions is limited to the original post platform on Facebook.

I spoke with Sue Nikas a couple times, today, and have her permission to share this news with you. This is direct from the top, please do not call or write the factory with objections or questions. This news is shared with respect, and in that spirit of respect, we accept the decision.

HR in California will cease operations this year. The target of production ending is December; as they traditionally close for the holidays Thanksgiving week, one might count it as late November. Sue is grateful for the many years of service from her reps and retailers, and for the support of collectors.

The name continues forward with HR TN reissues. The brand remains in family hands, and HR TN will continue to produce under their license.

Thank you for understanding the challenges HR has faced during covid times. The Miniatures that require assembly will cease production immediately, to be followed by the retirement of the simpler forms in the coming weeks. When complex pieces in inventory are sold to dealers, that is all there will be. (Minis with add-on pieces, like baby Pegasus, are complex.) Eventually, this season will see the closure of production of all Minis and Specialties. Designer's Workshop items are effectively discontinued from the California pottery.

The club will continue to support, research HR, and celebrate collectors. The only closure is the California physical location.

I will aim to answer questions here on this Group's thread only, with the information Sue has provided. I won't speculate or lead speculation. I will post updates to this thread only. I am doing pottery full-time, and keeping it in one spot streamlines the social media tasks.

Thank you for your love of HR, and for your immense patience in waiting for any word on the CA pottery reissue DWs. I am so sorry that this news is not what you wanted to hear.

My favorite Hagen Renaker piece in my collection, a Monrovia Sherif.

Thank you, Kristina, for letting me share your post. As you said in our correspondence, this is deeply upsetting, especially to those of us who have collected for many years. I am so glad that HR Tennessee will continue to produce pieces under the HR license.