Editors’ Note

Rosa Lladró is the daughter of Juan Lladró, one of three brothers who founded the eponymous porcelain company. After joining the company, Lladró undertook management duties for the Lladró collectors society and for the creativity committee, on which she still serves. Lladró has been a member of the Lladró board of directors since 1984 and President of the board since 2003.

Company Brief

In 1953, the Lladró brothers quit their work at a tiles factory and built a Moorish kiln in the courtyard of the family home. In Almàssera, a little town on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Valencia, they installed a rudimentary workshop that became the headquarters of their company, Lladró (www.lladro.com), which produces a diverse array of handcrafted porcelain objects and home decorations. Over 2,000 people now work for the company, and Lladró creations are exported to more than 100 countries and sold at almost 4,000 points of sale.

Are you pleased with Lladró’s position in the luxury goods market?

We are in the best position. It has been very good. We have very good customers in America, and we like the American people. We have the right conditions for business.

Is North America one of Lladró’s fastest-growing markets?

It has been our main market for many years and will always be our focus. But we also try to develop new markets like China, where we have already opened about 20 stores; Russia, which is doing very well; and Japan, where we have been for many years and are gaining a stronger presence. India is moving along well, but slowly. We’re taking our time in Latin America, because it’s very complicated. Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil are doing very well.

Do you think of Lladró as a luxury brand, or is your target market broader?

We are not exactly a luxury brand; we’re in a special category for many reasons. We have customers at very different levels, because they get engaged with our product and form a kind of relationship with it.

Beyond the porcelain sculptures the brand is traditionally known for, Lladró also offers chandeliers and other items. Will you expand the brand’s product portfolio even further?

We go into new areas from time to time. This is an especially creative time for us. Recently, we have been collaborating with very young designers and designers with a very young point of view, but we have kept up our strong tradition and our very high-quality product.

Your products are known for being handcrafted. Will that always be the case?

It’s impossible to do it another way. We still do the model work in the factory. The factory is still very much like a workshop.

Is handcraftsmanship a lost art? Are young people entering into the profession?

Yes, we have nice young artists and sculptors coming in. We have whole families that work in our factory. The business started in the ’50s – it’s not so old – and we often have three generations of a family working for us.

Is the Internet driving sales for Lladró?

It’s perfect for customers who know the product very well, and it’s a solution for people who live far way from our points of sale. But it’s not our main thing. The best way to buy a piece is to look at it in person. However, the Internet lets people easily order small items and gifts.

Your time must be pulled in many different directions. How do you focus your efforts?

My father is still involved in the company. He’s 81 and he’s amazing. He still enjoys so much of the business. Our main concern is creativity, because we need to work almost two years in advance on our collections. So every day we visit the artists and see how everything is going. On the commercial side, we work hard to find out what our customers want and what is missing from our collections.

Is the business for Lladró’s jewelry collection growing at a satisfactory rate?

It’s nice, but not essential to our business. We continue doing it because it’s doing very well. It was so easy to imagine, I don’t know why we didn’t do it sooner.

Did your father and his brothers ever imagine Lladró would be an internationally recognized brand when they founded the company over 50 years ago?

Absolutely not. My father used to say, “When you don’t have anything to lose, you can take a lot of risks.” That was the beginning. I don’t think they even dreamed about the success we have today.

What is it like working for a family business?

Now we have just my father and my sister involved, and the important thing is to keep everybody communicating. It’s the way we are so it just comes easily. I’m very happy.

What are your key priorities for the brand going forward?

We want to stay true to the values of the company. We want to stay in Valencia, because that’s where our people are. We also just want to make sure the word is out there, and we hope to continue finding people who enjoy what we do.

What would those who have worked closely with you say of your style?

I try to be very respectful of people. I find that, many times, it’s better just to listen.

Do you ever find time to work directly with your customers?

I think it’s very interesting. It’s nice to hear their thoughts and find out what their motivation was for buying something – a gift for an anniversary or Christmas, or a gift for themselves.

Technology, such as cell phones and PDAs, make it very difficult for leaders to disconnect from their work.

I love it. I don’t look like a very high-tech lady, but I love it.

So are you ever able to take a break from your job and relax?

Yes. When I can take a breath, it’s fantastic. I enjoy it. It doesn’t happen at the end of every Friday, but I play it by ear.