john eden on thu 16 apr 98
A few weeks before NCECA, Frank told me that he realized, that for
him to take his Coneart kiln company to the next level would have meant a
tremendous investment of money, time and effort in a distribution system.
Shimpo has all of that in spades. He told me that he will still be running
the show at ConeArt for the foreseeable future. One of the conditions of
sale was that the same people would be making them ( Frank has a very
experienced and loyal staff). It would have been difficult for Shimpo to
replicate the situation in the USA. It should be noted here that the
"ConeArt kiln Company" is a separate company from "Tucker's Pottery Supply".
Thank goodness, because my College and I have been dealing with him for the
last 23 years and his company is exceptional. My advice would be to
continue to buy ConeArt kilns. They are extremely well built and having
looked around the NCECA exhibits, I would have to say, better insulated and
better designed. I would also like to add that "Shimpo America" would do
well to listen to Frank not only about kilns but about their other
equipment. Namely, wheel splashpans, handles etc. Cheers, John Eden.
John Eden. Ceramics Dept. John Abbott College, Ste. Anne de Bellevue,
Quebec, Canada
Tel. # 514-457-6610 ext.395
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