MacKenzie-Childs is seeking a new owner. Owner/CEO Pleasant Rowland announced to employees on June 13 that she will begin exploring the ceramics manufacturer/marketer’s options for the future.
“Over the years, but now with increasing frequency, various individuals have expressed interest in purchasing the company. I rejected all inquiries until I felt confident the company was stabilized with a sound business model and a competent, experienced management team,” Rowland said in a release.
Founded in 1983 by Richard and Victoria Mackenzie-Childs, the company had filed for bankruptcy in November 2000. Rowland, who founded dolls marketer American Girl in 1986 and sold the company to toy giant Mattel in 1998, purchased MacKenzie-Childs from the founders in June 2001 for $5 million.
Mackenzie-Childs is known for its whimsical Spanish and Italian majolica tabletop ceramics. In addition to four stores, including one in Aurora and its flagship store in New York, MacKenzie-Childs includes a Website, launched in 2003, and a print catalog that debuted in 2004.