The founding family of 50-year-old Deneen Pottery of St. Paul is on a growth mission again.
"All dad ever wanted was to make beautiful mugs," said CEO Niles Deneen. "All I want is a good business that supports us."
Deneen was founded by potter Peter Deneen, a Luther College art graduate who apprenticed under the acclaimed late potter Marguerite Wildenhain at her Pond Farm Pottery in California.
But Deneen Pottery is more than an art collective.
"We're trying to step it up a little," said Peter Deneen, 72, in an understatement. "Orders are backed up several months."
![Deneen Pottery employee Jonathan Conrad hand formed mugs on a pottery wheel on 4/30/14. Profile on Deneen Pottery, a small St. Paul company that makes custom stoneware and coffee mugs the old-fashioned way, by tossing a lump of clay on a potter's wheel. The company is growing by leaps and bounds, doubling its number of employees to more than 50 over the last couple of years. They even have a dog wandering the factory and shop.] Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune bbisping@stribune Jonathan Conrad/source](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6BZ42HR6S2TFJIL2JQY4RJHEAI.jpg?&w=1080)
![Deneen Pottery employee Jonathan Conrad hand formed mugs on a pottery wheel on 4/30/14. Profile on Deneen Pottery, a small St. Paul company that makes custom stoneware and coffee mugs the old-fashioned way, by tossing a lump of clay on a potter's wheel. The company is growing by leaps and bounds, doubling its number of employees to more than 50 over the last couple of years. They even have a dog wandering the factory and shop.] Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune bbisping@stribune Jonathan Conrad/source](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/UFPAYFFZTC3HEPIPEU6SCQUC4E.jpg?&w=1080)

Deneen Pottery recently invested more than $500,000 in a new kiln and related equipment that will fire up to 1,800 mugs. The bugs are still getting worked out.
Deneen Pottery plans to grow production from nearly 3,000 mugs per day to 3,400. And increase annual revenue from about $8.5 million to $10 million by 2025.
When Niles, 47, joined the business in 2005, the company's revenue was about $1 million.