Americans have become accustomed to seeing “Made in China” on artifacts and household items of all varieties, but little is known about the china “Made in New Iberia” by Ceramic Treasures Inc.

Now celebrating 25 years as a wholesaler, the family-run business has quietly operated in their downtown location delivering locally and shipping products around the world.

The company originally opened in 1986 by Elizabeth Carter DeBuse as a ceramic and crafts store. Customers would take classes or purchase greenware, paint, then fire their handiwork in the store’s kilns. The shift to becoming a custom china decorating supplier factory began while the DeBuse daughters attended Mt. Carmel. DeBuse created a custom mug to help the yearbook staff raise much needed funds. The mugs were a success and the rest is history.

Soon after the school mugs, Trappey’s cannery saw finished products made by Ceramic Treasures and began ordering custom mugs featuring yams. The gift shop retailed china pieces decorated with other familiar regional artwork like magnolias, cotton, alligators and hot peppers. Shadows-on-the-Teche and Konrico Rice soon followed suit, ordering custom-decorated mugs for their gift shops.

“From one color illustration on a white mug 20 years ago to a full-color photograph of the Shadows-on-the-Teche today, Ceramic Treasures has advised this historic site about new technological advances and popular style designs,” Catherine Schramm, curator of education at the Shadows, said. “I’ve purchased several types of merchandise, including a Christmas ornament. One item the Shadows has always offered is a coffee mug. It’s amazing to realize that styles of those mugs have changed four times.”

The business made the transition away from a public store to manufacturing around 1990 when a man DeBuse considers an old-time jobber began to sell their products.

“He would purchase a dozen or so items, carry them in his Chevrolet Suburban with other wares, and sell from town to town. In a week or so he’d return to buy more,” DeBuse said.

During the 275th anniversary of Natchez, the female trio took advantage of the publicity to create samples for plantation gift stores and landed 13 new accounts almost overnight. Some like Nottoway and Oak Alley are still purchasing memorabilia that travels back home with visitors from around the world.

“Marilynn and Maree are a joy to do business with. The passion and pride they have in their work reflects in all they do,” Angela Delatte, manager at Oak Alley Plantation Gift Shop said about the years together. “They are so helpful in business and in their own personal lives. I recall being impressed many times of how these ladies handle themselves in hard situations such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, through sickness, computers crashing, etc. They have also brought many of my visions to life by creating custom artwork for me.”

Long-term Louisiana customers have sustained the business the past 25 years. Retailers such as Giggles and Bows in Franklin and All About You in New Iberia feature LSU or UL Lafayette products licensed by the decorators. At one time when tea cups were popular, florists created bouquets in an assortment of designs for Mother’s Day and mugs for Father’s Day. Hospital gift shops featured Nurse’s Day recognition as well as newborn ceramic treasures.

Marilynn DeBuse White began working with her mother while in college. Joined later by her sister, Maree DeBuse, the current co-owners have transitioned into a diversified family business operating three different companies. Ceramic Treasures is the parent company providing the bulk of their operating capital with custom items from one to thousands. Faust Heirlooms, named in memory of their grandmother’s gift of a treasured plate, is a wholesale gift line. An online retail storefront www.giftsetc.com offers an assortment of self-designed china.

Every piece shipped is decorated by hand and for the few visitors lucky enough to sit with the women while they work, an outpouring of interesting stories occurs. Some customers require non-disclosure agreements and the sisters respect that confidentiality. Other stories are worth repeating and are inspired by the samples scattered throughout their warehouse factory.

Although nearly all of their business is derived from referrals, the Advertising Specialty Institute international data base connects promotional product distributors with supplier factories. Products are also marketed to the promotional products industry with their MAR’s Line. One memorable client is a high-end dishwasher manufacturer who contracted for promo kits to display how fine china would fit in racks for optimum cleaning. Using the customer’s logo, sets of plates, bowls, platers, cups and saucers, custom stainless steel utensils and crystal goblets were strategically packed and shipped. By job’s end, 19 shipping pallets headed for showroom destinations around the United States.

Marilynn and Maree not only use designs provided by their customers, but they can also create logos or artwork through photography, illustration or computer graphics. Award presentations, commemorative or donor gifts for schools, golf tournament winners, bank openings, horse races, national bank board rooms, oil rig galleys, religious institutions, storybooks, visual arts, television networks and films have all been immortalized with handcrafted designs passing through creative hands in New Iberia.

The DeBuse women also have made their mark on the New Iberia community with long standing involvement at First United Methodist Church, serving on boards and in leadership roles for CASA, Republican Women and the newly formed Dare to Care which provides grocery vouchers for food pantries enabling them to purchase special items needed by their clients.

Later this year, The Daily Iberian will once again be presenting Cookbook winners with coveted award plates decorated by the DeBuse sisters. If the imagination can conceive it, Ceramic Treasures can deliver it.

Next time you look at a piece of decorated china, don’t be surprised if you see a familiar logo on the bottom. It just might say, “Made in New Iberia.”