santa fe’s artesanos imports co.
Feature story
Artesanos Imports Co. of Santa Fe represents one of those great American success stories. Founded 52 years ago by Leopoldo“Polo” Gomez, an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, Artesanos has become one of the leading tile, pottery and furniture manufacturers, sending its wares worldwide.
the beginning
Gomez started out as a laborer at another tile shop in Santa Fe before heading out on his own. “He had a little, tiny store, about 100 square feet Downtown,” said his son and company vice president/general manager Fernando Gomez. “He had connections in Mexico for pottery, glassware, baskets and tile. Everything was handmade from different regions from Oaxaca to Chihuahua.” The little, tiny store slowly grew in recognition and stature but it wasn’t always easy. “When he started in 1965-66, at that point, the business was very small,” the younger Gomez said. “He used to have a station wagon and he’d fill it up with glassware and we’d help him wash them.”
It was a good lesson in worth ethic, he said, and made the family appreciate what they had earned. “It was a struggle,” he said. “My dad worked two jobs, we didn’t have everything. It’s a great success story of somebody coming across the line and abiding by the rules of the United States.” As for Polo Gomez, who is 90 and still occasionally comes into the shop, he had just a few simple rules of his own: “Always pay your taxes, be honest and give the best customer service you possibly can.”
It was a winning formula as the Downtown store grew to 8,000 square feet divided between showroom space and warehouse, and eventually a second store of similar size was added at 1414 Maclovia Street.
custom work
“We’re pretty established with manufacturers who work for us exclusively, their artisans work for us exclusively,” Gomez said. “We’re considered manufacturers so we’re able to do a lot of custom work for customers.” It’s a parade of styles and colors in the showroom, he said. “We have people tell us all the time that it’s like being in a candy store,” Gomez said. “We have more than 400 to 500 different designs of tiles-hand painted tile. We have 50 to 80 designs in lighting fixtures and have also branched out to porcelain tiles, ceramic, glass, travertine and slate. Those aren’t all we have, there’s saltillo, talavera, handforged hardware and lighting fixtures, and it’s all handmade.” As a matter of fact, the company is getting ready to introduce a revolutionary talavera tile that can withstand freezing temperatures. "We're going to have a frost-free
“We’re considered manufacturers so we’re able to do a lot of custom work for customers.” It’s a parade of styles and colors in the showroom.” Fernando Gomez - vice president/general manager
line of talavera so you can use it outside,” Gomez said. “That’s something people have been asking us for years. It used to be a costly procedure but we’ve finally found a manufacturer that has the right kilns. They can use it in New York and Chicago, use it for steps, risers and fountains.”
It should be available sometime in August, he said. “We’re going to kick it off in the next 30 days,” Gomez said. “Even people here in Santa Fe want to use it for fountains outside.” The process will be more affordable in line with many of the other products, he added. “That’s what we’re known for, reasonable pricing,” Gomez said. We have high-end products, but if somebody wants a floor tile for 99 cents a square foot, we have it. Our goal is to accommodate as many people as possible. We’ve dealt with movie stars, big developments and the guy who has the mobile home and doesn’t want to spend much,” Gomez said. “We have from the low end to the high end and all different clientele.”
artesanos clientele
Over the years, many prominent people have discovered Artesanos, such as Jessica Lange and a Kennedy family member. In one story from the store’s website, Ethel Kennedy kept them three hours past closing time buying up almost everything in sight for her daughter who was living in Arroyo Hondo. “A problem arose with the close to $8,000 sale when Polo arrived at the house later that night; the daughter said she didn’t need a thing. This was in spite of the fact her home was almost devoid of furniture or fixtures. Ethel told Polo to cash the check anyway, but Polo refused and eventually sent it back to her.” That type of customer service, whether for the Kennedys or Joe Average off the street, is typical for Artesanos, Gomez said. “We’ve been able to come up with all kinds of different designs and trim pieces,” he said. “Sometimes it’s overwhelming for people, but we have a very good crew that helps design if it’s needed. We’ll go to the house, measure, and figure out designs for them, just to help people. We have one lady that works with clients, goes to house, and even sets up with tiles there. It’s a full service that we can offer.”
It’s something Gomez said he learned at early age in the store. “I’ve always loved it since I was a kid, eight or nineyears-old,” he said. “After getting out of school, we’d go over there and help with dusting and putting things away. I really enjoyed it and appreciate the work that the craftsmen do. I’ve been down to Mexico and watched them make a handforged nail, for instance. It brought me the appreciation for what they do.” Like his father before him, Gomez arrives at the store between 4:30-5 a.m. and “I stay until at least 4 in the afternoon,” he said. “Monday through Sunday. We don’t believe in something be handed to you and the rewards for the hard work are tremendous.” And while he’s been running the shop for some time, Gomez said he’s still just caretaker for his dad. “My father is still the owner,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have anything. I still consult with him. This is still very much his store. I see him everyday and still consult with him about the work, you can't have a big ego when it comes to a business”