When he began, Dave Lockie needed a pug mill but he couldn’t afford the price tag, so he build one himself, using photos as a guide. Thirty years later, it’s still going strong, processing clay for the pottery studio.

The clay, used in production, is delivered twice a year from the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena. It sits outside, all 20,000 pounds of it, and during the winter the frozen clay is brought inside in batches. It takes a week to thaw, then it’s run through the pug mill to restore the consistency. The high-volume workhorse he built remains a valuable asset.

Dave’s always looking for better ways to work. Early on in the business his ceramic bell was a popular item, and to keep up with the demand, Dave needed to make them more efficiently. He practiced until he could create one every 13 seconds, then devised a way to inflate a balloon inside the bell so when it was dipped in the glaze it was not marred by fingerprints.

Then he came up with a faster way to ensure a consistent size for the plates and jar lids he was producing, using a laser suspended overhead to mark the outside edge of the piece on the wheel.

Even with time-saving innovations, as the company grew, the Lockies realized they could not do everything themselves and they began the transition to more managerial roles.

“If we’ve learned anything,” Jennie says, “It’s to hold on loosely.”

Dave’s adjusting to the change. “I try to work with everyone, guiding the company to what we are best able to do and bringing ideas to fruition,” he says.

Success is shared, as it opens opportunities for others. “We have always loved to have places to hire people. We are blessed to be able to give people jobs,” says Jennie.

They appreciate their employees and don’t take the relationships lightly. When Dave attended a seminar on how to survive in a down economy a few years ago, he recognized that not all the recommendations fit with the vision of how he and Jennie wanted to run their company.

“Some of the ‘sound business decisions’ the speakers suggested conflicted with our mission statement,” Dave says. The advice offered focused on profits exclusively. “We looked at it this way: What you do, is it a right decision or a wrong decision?”

The experts said to reduce labor costs by cutting hours or eliminating employees. The Lockies weren’t comfortable with that, and decided they wouldn’t let the bottom line alone dictate their business decisions.

For the Lockies, running a business is second to their faith, and the mantle over the fireplace in their store reminds them that while man makes many plans, it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. That belief directs their decisions.

The decisions must be the right ones, as the business has grown by over 17% every year for the past 8 years. The remodeled log cabin displays their pottery, features a retail store and a coffee shop. Located along busy Highway 191, it draws traffic from visitors to Big Sky and Yellowstone, as well as locals.

To promote their products, the Lockies travel to trade shows every year in Denver and Billings. Their pottery has captured the attention of several companies that are now featuring Mountain Arts Pottery pieces in their catalogues. One of them, Green Mountain Coffee, features the Mocha Red River mug in its Accessories and Gifts section.

The sales keep the throwers busy. There are two talented artisans, Chris and Jenny, and Dave still joins them occasionally. The kilns work hard too, cycling 3 high fires a week. It takes 48 hours to complete an entire cycle, then the kiln is emptied, shelves and all, and reloaded with the next batch.

Because Chris and Jenny are artists in their own right, they have the opportunity to use the studio and kilns on their off time, encouraging personal creativity.

The threads of innovation and inspiration run throughout the company, ensuring that fresh ideas and efficient ways to accomplish them will continue to make Mountain Arts Pottery a success for years to come.

Mountain Arts Pottery is located on Highway 191, 1.1 miles south of Four Corners between milepost 80 and 81 and on the web at www.mtartspottery.com/

Lynn Kinnaman is the author of several books, numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and blogs. She is the owner of Works by Design, a website design company, and helps businesses and individuals communicate their message through writing, marketing and an effective online presence. She continues to write for magazines and has two books coming out in early 2012. She can be contacted at Lynn@LynnKinnaman.com/.