The clean and balanced lines of Hubbardton Forge's designs are the result of years of marrying the art and techniques of an ancient craft with modern technology and the functional requirements of each piece.

To distinguish itself from others in the lighting industry, Hubbardton Forge relies on the "simplicity and honesty" of its designs, explains George Chandler, president and CEO. The clean and balanced lines of Hubbardton Forge's designs, he explains, are the result of years of marrying the art and techniques of an ancient craft with modern technology and the functional requirements of each piece. This, Chandler says, has been the foundation of the company's successful 30-year history.

Founded in 1974 as a craft-art studio, the business began in an old barn in Hubbardton, Vt., with the goal of mastering the art of blacksmithing and creating handcrafted goods. The company's products - ranging from the traditional to the contemporary - reflect those elements of "timeless design; qualities that can transcend or complement the latest styles" Chandler says. Having outgrown the barn and its additions 18 years ago, Hubbardton Forge is now based in nearby Castleton, Vt., where design, sales, manufacturing and distribution occupy a 120,000-square-foot plant that is still growing.

With its focus on innovative designs, the company is constantly working to enhance its product offerings. While often building on ideas that have previously been successful, Chandler notes, Hubbardton Forge is not afraid to explore new avenues.

"Sometimes we'll throw a pebble in the water and see where the ripples go," he says. "It doesn't always work, but when it does we get good results. We do a lot of small runs - sometimes only eight to 15 pieces at a time - so that allows us to easily change and learn new things."

The industry has noticed the company's efforts. In 2004, the American Society of Furniture Designers named Chandler as the winner of the Pinnacle Design Achievement Award in lighting for the "Fullered Impressions opposed contours table lamp." The purpose of these awards, the company explains, is to promote better design quality and encourage the recognition of furniture designers within the retail home furnishings industry. This was the third consecutive year that Hubbardton Forge was named one of the three finalists in the lighting category.

Early this year, the company also was recognized as Vermont's fastest-growing company over the last 15 years, and the fastest-growing manufacturer over the last five.

Chandler believes Hubbardton Forge will maintain this growth by continuing to differentiate itself with innovative designs and an emphasis on outstanding quality and service.

"We succeed by offering designs that are simple, clean and with pleasing form and artistic values," he says. "We also have very skilled people who are responsible for our handmade products - our customers can see the craftsmanship in everything we do." Hubbardton Forge's products display a "modern renewal of an ancient craft," the company explains.

"Blended with the time-honored traditions of forging are some of the best applications of modern technology," the company says. "Our award-winning, environmentally sound finishing systems provide the quality and efficiencies that allow us to spend our time doing what we do best - designing and hand forging our products."

Environmental excellence, the company believes, is important in maintaining the quality of its entire product portfolio.

"Hubbardton Forge has long believed in the necessity of using the most environmentally sound means of creating our product," the company says. "As a result, we have adopted and pioneered new methods for cleaning and finishing, reducing process waste and managing energy.

"We have not trumpeted our design to be ‘green', but rather, emphasized our continuing mission to create the best possible product by the best possible means. We are pleased, therefore, to be recognized for our efforts by the state of Vermont as a three-time recipient of the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence."

The company notes "timeless design" also guides its quality and excellence throughout its operations.

"Just as ancient hand-forging techniques live on at Hubbardton Forge, our design is truly timeless," the company says. "Simple. Classic. Elegant. Original. Form and function are inseparable in every piece we design."

The high quality of that hand craftsmanship is the result of teamwork, training and a company culture that encourages employees to take ownership in development, process and quality of each piece produced.

"We are a very open company and believe it is everyone's responsibility to maintain the quality in our products," Chandler says.

To support this culture of responsibility, Hubbardton Forge has invested in new training programs with a focus on accountability. The company may make a mistake, Chandler notes, but it is important to learn from those mistakes and move on. To that end, Hubbardton Forge is constantly working to provide employees with better systems and processes as well as personal and career development training to facilitate better communications and better decisions.

"We want to enhance our operations by focusing on building a knowledge base for each set of operations," Chandler says. "This is important because we are a profit-sharing organization where everyone owns a piece of our success. In the end, every customer [we] disappoint takes away from our ability to build profit and share profit, and the bar is always going up; we have to strive to be better tomorrow than we are today."

Looking forward, the company plans to use the strengths of its people - who Chandler describes as "dedicated and very knowledgeable" - and its design expertise to gain new ground.

"Our goal is to keep growing and changing," he says. "We believe it is vital to remain a U.S. manufacturer and we can do this by staying competitive and improving our service levels. The main challenge will be to remain where we are and grow profitably."