Heath Ceramics Named Outstanding Corporate Leader by AIGA

Heath Ceramics’s progressive policies, corporate philosophies, and provocative designs show a true vision for sustainable design and goods

New York, NY—AIGA, the professional association for design, is pleased to present Heath Ceramics with the 2022 AIGA Corporate Leadership Award. AIGA has recognized Heath Ceramics as a 2022 outstanding corporate leader for their progressive policies, corporate philosophies, and provocative notion of what beautiful and functional design is, as a women-founded, partially employee-owned, and community-focused business with a true vision for sustainable goods that last.

Heath Ceramics is a company looking to the future by examining the past, continuously looking at the process to make sure what they are creating is sustainable from not only a design sense but also good for the environment. The design process integrates the here and now with what can be, thinking about the needs of the consumer and the business. Heath Ceramics embodies an idea that takes their community into account—their local community in California and the larger design community. How they create their designs speaks to the sustainable nature of their creations. They prioritize their employees, paying a living wage and benefits, and recognize their employees' creative work. They are more than a ceramics foundry. Heath Ceramics is a small business, a family business, with a sustainable footprint making a local, economic impact while simultaneously sharing their timeless designs with the world. 

“If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that we need to think differently about the world around us and the relationships we have with the objects that inhabit our space,” said AIGA Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson. “Heath Ceramics is a company that is supporting their community, the artists who share their creations, and espousing the values that make Heath Ceramics a leader in their craft.”

Johnson continued, “We are honored to present this year’s Corporate Leadership Award to Heath Ceramics and their employee-owners. Their innovative outlook and human-centered values are front and center and we honor them for their timeless commitment to their craft, to their community, and to their employees.”

Founded in Sausalito, California in 1948 by Edith and Brian Heath, Heath Ceramics is built on the vision and values of being honest and responsible. Committed to growing slowly, providing jobs in their local communities, and preserving a craft, they celebrate the process of creation and the materials that allow them to not only envision but also design beautiful and functional objects.   

“It’s deeply meaningful to all of us at Heath to be recognized for our design-led approach to business,” said Catherine Bailey, Owner and Brand Director of Heath Ceramics. “As a 75-year-old, employee-owned company, we have always believed that impact comes from intent, not scale. We have remained an intentionally small business, committed to honest craft, local manufacturing, living wages, and concrete contributions to the world, all through the lens of design.”  

In its 108-year history, AIGA has recognized 35 perceptive, forward-thinking organizations with the AIGA Corporate Leadership Award. Since 1980, recipients have spanned countless industries—from media to education to technology—but are united by the respect for the lives they touch and a rare commitment to consistency and quality—now, Heath Ceramics joins the ranks as the 35th recipient of this prestigious award.