Ceramic Studio Turnaround — Throw Ann Arbor Case Study

Initial Conditions

When management was assumed on February 23, 2025, the studio was experiencing severe operational breakdown.

Production backlog dating back to November of the previous year
Approximately 800 unfinished ceramic pieces
Inconsistent or broken production workflow
Poorly maintained glaze systems
Lack of consistent clay supply
Kiln workflow instability
Inadequate studio infrastructure

The studio could not reliably process work from creation to firing and delivery.

Immediate Stabilization Phase

Objective

Restore a functioning ceramic production pipeline.

Completed ~800 unfinished ceramic pieces within 6 days
Reorganized kiln firing schedule
Restored workflow from forming through glaze firing
Implemented a stable studio production system

The ceramic workflow pipeline was restored:

forming → drying → bisque firing → glazing → glaze firing → customer pickup

Backlog was eliminated and production flow resumed.

Materials Systems Reconstruction

A major intervention was rebuilding the studio's materials infrastructure.

Clay Production

1,500–2,000

lb clay produced per month

$0.43

per lb production cost achieved

Designed and implemented clay processing workflow
Built member clay storage area

Glaze System

Established a stable studio glaze system:

14×

5-gallon glaze buckets

14×

2-gallon glaze buckets

This provided a consistent glaze library for classes and members.

Plaster Production

Poured ~300 lb of plaster
Produced molds and infrastructure components

Kiln Operations and Maintenance

All kiln operations and repairs were handled during the management period.

Responsibilities

Kiln loading and firing cycles
Bisque and glaze scheduling
Troubleshooting firing issues
Maintaining kiln workflow for classes and studio members

Maintenance Performed

Re-coiled electric kiln elements
Kiln shelf maintenance
General kiln infrastructure upkeep

Studio Infrastructure Construction

Designed and constructed essential studio equipment.

Wedging Table Work Tables Ware Boards Glaze Carts Member Shelving Member Clay Storage

These additions significantly improved studio throughput and organization.

Facility Systems Repair

Operational ceramic studios require reliable water and clay waste management systems.

Rebuilt studio sink
Rebuilt sink trap
Improved clay waste handling system

These repairs restored basic studio functionality.

Operational Leadership

The studio was frequently operated independently.

~65

hours per week, solo operations

Responsible for all technical and operational tasks:

Clay body production
Glaze mixing and maintenance
Kiln firing
Workflow management
Facilities maintenance
Customer fulfillment

Business Outcomes

Operational stabilization produced measurable financial results.

~$52k

studio revenue in December 2025

10%

equity stake earned

Revenue reached ~$52,000 in sales during December 2025
Went from inability to pay staff to peak monthly revenue
Earned 10% equity stake in the company
Later exited via equity buyout due to differences in direction regarding ceramics education and studio priorities
Owner (Jeremy) was absent and did not meaningfully understand or prioritize what was required to run the studio correctly

System-Level Impact

Before	After
Backlog of unfinished work	Stable production pipeline
Unstable materials supply	Consistent clay and glaze systems
Unreliable kiln operations	Functioning kiln workflow
Broken workflow	Reliable customer fulfillment
Unable to pay staff	$52k monthly revenue

Role Scope

Responsibilities encompassed multiple specialized positions typically found in institutional ceramic studios.

Studio Manager Ceramics Technician Kiln Technician Clay Body Technician Glaze Technician Facilities Builder Workflow Designer

Core Insight

Ceramic studios function as integrated technical systems, not simply teaching spaces.

materials → forming → drying → bisque firing → glaze chemistry → glaze firing → fulfillment

Reconstructing this system restored both production reliability and financial performance.

The studio's quality during this period was not evidence of strong ownership or institutional competence — it was the result of concentrated technical labor and materials knowledge from a single operator.

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Condensed Resume Version

Studio Manager — Throw Ann Arbor (Feb 23 – Dec 10, 2025)

Turned around failing studio; cleared ~800-piece backlog (dating to Nov prior year) in 6.5 days
Ran studio operations alone for months (~65 hrs/week)
Produced 1,500–2,000 lb clay/month at $0.43/lb
Mixed and maintained 28 studio glazes (14×5-gal + 14×2-gal)
Poured ~300 lb plaster for molds and infrastructure
Built major studio equipment: wedging table, glaze carts, shelving, sink/clay trap redesign
Re-coiled kiln, maintained shelves
Managed kiln firing and full materials pipeline
Increased monthly revenue to ~$52k
Earned 10% equity, exited via buyout over educational direction