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By SHELLEY HANSON
WHEELING -- Since starting his business in 2016, Adam Bedway has learned a few things such as sometimes you have to take a risk to get a reward.
Bedway, 40, co-owns East Wheeling Clayworks with his wife Beth Bedway. The couple resides in Wheeling with their young daughter, Olivia.
Bedway, who is the company's lead designer and head of production, said one of the most important lessons he's learned to date is to take risks.
"We’ve taken on large orders that we knew would push us to our limits. We’ve also learned lots of lessons from stepping outside of our comfort zone and applied those lessons to make our business more efficient," Bedway said.
"One year we took on an order for 500 pieces that we’d have to produce during our busiest time of year. At that point we had four people working at the Clayworks, and not a lot of space for a production run of that size.
"So we got very creative, redesigned the way our studio worked at the time, and pulled it off. That job helped us buy new equipment and hire more help so that the next time a large order came in, it was much easier for us to handle."
Bedway said he is most proud of what he and his wife have done with the company.
"We started out in a garage with a leaky roof and no hot water in 2016. Now we own the building our business is in, we’ve built an amazing team, and we wholesale our work to over 300 small businesses across North America and Europe," he said.
"We sell our work in person to people all over West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania and through our website we ship pottery across the U.S. almost every single day.
"In my personal life, I’m easily most proud of the family that we’ve built, and the life that we’re building here in Wheeling."
Regarding the future, Bedway hopes for expansion and partnerships.
"Our company now employs 12 people, and we hope to grow over the next few years. We strive to create good paying jobs for our employees and hope to start a paid apprenticeship program in the future," he said.
"We’re also looking to partner with local colleges to do internships for students looking to become entrepreneurs or artists themselves.
"We also would love to help other small businesses by offering advice and help with getting your business off the ground or scaling your business."
Bedway said the Ohio Valley has been a great location for his company and can be for other small businesses as well.
"We have two large clay manufacturing companies within an hour of Wheeling, that’s something not a lot of potters can say," he said. "We also have access to lots of different cities within a few hour’s drive, which allows us to expand our products into different markets and attract new customers.
"The Ohio Valley currently has a choice that a lot of other places in the Rust Belt have had to make. With industries like steel and coal on the decline, we now have to focus on ways to create good paying jobs and educate a work force to be competitive with other places.
"Luckily, we have some really great local colleges and a ton of entrepreneurial minded people willing to take chances on creating jobs.
"The way I see it, we don’t need to wait for some company to ride in on a white horse and create hundreds of jobs, we just need to support and encourage our small businesses who in turn reinvest in our local economy and create those jobs."
Bedway said he and his wife are Ohio Valley natives, which played a part in them wanting to start a business here.
"Both my wife and I grew up in the Ohio Valley. She grew up in Weirton, and I grew up in Bridgeport and Wheeling," he said. "We both left the area but ultimately came back because we wanted to see this place grow and succeed.
"The thing that has compelled us to stay is all of the great people we know here. We’ve built an amazing team at the Clayworks, and have a network of artists and small business owners we call friends."
Bedway advises those who are just entering the workforce or starting their business to "know your worth."
"So many young people, myself included, undercharge for the services they provide or the job they’re at because people tell them they need decades of experience before they can earn a living wage," he said.
"Artists especially are told that the exposure they might get from doing a project for free is valuable, but plain and simple, if you’re doing work, you deserve a living wage."
Bedway said his philosophy is one his father taught him regarding what roles people can play in one's life.
"By knowing how people can help you and what roles they can play, whether in your personal or professional life, you can accomplish things much easier than by trying to do everything by yourself," he said. "I’m also a little bit of a control freak, so I’ve had to learn to trust people with a lot of the tasks in our business."
Bedway welcomes people to visit the shop, located at 747 Market St., Wheeling.
"Come and see us. Community support is so important to small businesses. Our retail shop is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Follow us on social media, or check out our website at www.eastwheelingclayworks.com," he said.