Case Studies.

MAHBINA – CLAYWORKS

“At Clayworks clients are able to order just one mug or plate! Clients are always pleasantly surprised to find out that there is no minimum order quantity. Our commitment to flexibility and meeting the customer’s needs is the driving force”

Clayworks began production in January 1999 at its own production facility. Mahbina Waheed who graduated from Smith College, Massachusetts, U.S.A. and Zainab Alam a graduate of National College of Arts, Lahore noticed the gap in the Pakistani market for custom made ceramics and colorful modern tableware. Clayworks was the first company to introduce colorful hand painted mugs and mugs with emotional messages/quotes in Pakistan.

The product range can be divided into three broad categories i.e. home use crockery and gift items, restaurant & banquet hall crockery lastly corporate souvenirs. Customers can order custom made designer ceramic tableware.

Mahbina and Zainab followed a simple policy “start small and grow gradually” to ensure product quality, design and timely delivery. Neither partner had experience in the ceramic industry or studied industrial ceramics; hence initially there was a great deal of trial and error as is involved with any manufacturing discipline. The partners painted on the products themselves before they trained people for it.

Clayworks has maintained a strong focus on integrating manufacturing with creativity with a vast majority of the designs and shapes being taken from history and our culture and recreating them to make them appealing to modern tastes.

What started with a total staff of 3 employees now has over 40 people employed with a monthly production of 6,000 pieces. Clayworks has two company owned retail outlets, one in Lahore and one in Islamabad. In Karachi a selection of products is available from Ideas by Gul Ahmed.

Clayworks is looking towards expansion in the major cities of Pakistan and eventually to other countries and increasing production capacity. Another means identified to tap into the global market is by eventually taking online orders on their website. Export is a very small percentage of the sales that Clayworks enjoys, however, it will continue to focus on the local market and retain its commitment to providing ceramics made in Pakistan to Pakistanis.

Back to Top 10 Entrepreneurs