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The Kandy and Mike sink-making journey
We started making sinks in 1982 for a Los Angeles distribution company. How we got started is a long story, so I'll just say that at the time I was a general contractor and also owned a cabinet shop. I used to make sinks in our garage at night. It was 6 months before I got my first good sink out of the kiln. Kandy would come out to the garage every morning to ask if we got any good sinks, and of course, I would say "no". Then she would say, "When are you going to go back to your real job?" Actually, she still says that sometimes. Making a flawless white porcelain bowl is one of the hardest things on earth. Very seldom do I see a "perfect" piece, although after 20 years of practice, I get to see more of them than anyone else in this business. In 1987 we moved out of the garage and into San Luis Obispo. We made sinks for four national distributors. We bought a bunch of kilns, hired a bunch of workers, and went crazy for the next 12 years. During that period I found out that I was the worst manager that ever lived, and I missed getting dirty. Kandy finally convinced me that we should go back home, and we did. We built a new building on our property at home in Garden Farms, CA., phased out our distributors, and began selling directly to kitchen and bath retailers. I have now been walking down the hill to work for about 8 years and loving every minute of it. I only get to leave home on Saturday night. We are growing again, and as we do, I am happy to say that I am going to stay in "design and production" and let others take care of the business stuff. I love what I do, and to Kandy's dismay, I spend as much time as it takes to do it right. Like I said, "I don't get out much", so if you find any porcelain piece anywhere that is better, let me know, and I will make the necessary improvements. Mike O'Brien 
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