The Deal: Gainey Ceramics’ factory outlet sells discontinued patio pots at deep discounts
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If you’re in the market for large outdoor pots and urns at bargain prices, drive out to La Verne, near Pomona, where commercial manufacturer Gainey Ceramics sells seconds and discontinued designs at 50% to 60% retail prices. The Gainey Ceramics Factory Outlet Store isn’t fancy. It’s housed next to the railroad tracks. But the prices range from $5 to $100, and the selection is enough to get you thinking how cool an oversize planter (or two) might look on your patio.
In 1949, Steve Gainey’s father and grandfather started manufacturing pottery with equipment they purchased from Pacific Clay Products’ closed Inglewood factory. From the original product line of dog dishes and crockery, the company evolved into an architectural pottery maker, specializing in commercial plant containers for the indoor-outdoor “plantscaping” industry, as well as decorative tile.
A third-generation pottery-maker, Gainey figures the company is one of the last continuously operating ceramic manufacturers around. “There used to be dozens and dozens of manufacturers here in Los Angeles, even up through the ‘90s,” he says. “But almost everyone has fled.”
Cheap imports and the cost of doing business in the U.S. are to blame, he says. The downturn in real estate hasn’t helped, but Gainey is bullish about 2010. “Human beings want to improve their surroundings. There’s a pent-up demand and our products will satisfy it.” (More photos and details on Gainey’s green component after the jump.)
Gainey Ceramics promotes its urns and planters as green because they are not transported from overseas (with the resulting pollution) and they have 25% recycled content. Water used in the manufacturing process is recycled back into the clay, and the company has adopted other eco-friendly practices.
Gainey acknowledges that the firm’s lightweight fiberglass containers, which account for as much as half its business, are not green. Fiberglass pots are often specified by architects and builders because they cost less to ship, are less vulnerable to damage during shipping and can often be made in larger sizes than ceramic ones. Plus, they cost about 20% less.
“The people we sell to are very environmentally conscious, but most have not truly embraced the green movement when it comes to price,” Gainey says. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification program is persuading some developers to choose ceramic over fiberglass -- a welcome trend, he says.
Gainey Ceramics has a dealer list on its website. Several Southern California dealers open to the public, including Rolling Greens in Culver City, Amars Wholesale in Los Angeles, Green House Nurseries in Arleta, California Greenhouses in Irvine, Instant Jungle in Santa Ana, the Plant Stand in Costa Mesa, Moller’s Garden Center in Palm Desert and Canyon Pottery in San Diego.
Sample prices? The Azalea, the 23-inch-diameter container pictured above, regularly sells for $347; the Aegean, a 9.5-inch-diameter pot pictured below, regularly sells for $64.
Expect prices at the La Verne outlet to be at least half off retail. The outlet is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1200 Arrow Highway; (800) 451-8155.
Photos courtesy of Gainey Ceramics