(WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Decorating yards and keeping birds clean. This is Made in Chicago and a look at Henri Studio.
“We create fountains. I would say we introduce around 20 different fountains per year and then we also have statuary, benches, bird baths, those kinds of things,” said Frank Honold who bought Henri Studio about 10 years ago.
The company’s roots go back more than 55 years to an Italian immigrant from the Tuscany region.
“Eneri Prosperi manufactured Henri Studio products out of his bungalow on the West Side of Chicago in 1965,” Honold said.
Henri Studio is now in north suburban Wauconda. Honold said he has two full time sculptors on staff who come up with a couple of dozen new creations every year. Honold said he’s proud that his products are made in America and made of America.
“Our limestone comes from the Thornton quarry, right there in Thornton, Illinois on I-294. You can see it on both sides. Our sand comes from Lafarge in Algonquin and our cement comes from LaSalle, Illinois. And, we use Lake Michigan water,” Honold noted.
Honold said bird baths are among his company’s biggest sellers and he said he understands why.
“It’s nature. Nature’s coming to your door, especially here in the Midwest, we get pretty birds. You get cardinals. You get blue jays,” said Honold.
Henri Studio has about 70 full-time employees and adds 50 seasonal workers in the fall and winter when the company’s production gears up to provide products for homeowners and gardeners in the spring. Honold said many of his part-time workers in the fall and winter work for landscaping companies in the spring and summer.
Honold said his company’s products can be bought at more than 3,000 independent garden centers across the country and can be seen on their website.
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