|
he sign says it all: Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia. Tamarack is the nation's first and only statewide collection of The Mountain State's crafts, food, music and culture. From hand-carved furniture to glass and pottery to Appalachian quilts, Tamarack offers on-going lessons and adventures in the state's history, people and products.
This center is a template of how a state can
salute its natural and man-made resources and outstanding
contributions to the world.
Tamarack’s striking, peaked red roof and attractively
landscaped grounds draw half a million visitors
annually off I-77 and I-64 into a welcome
respite of visual beauty, Appalachian sounds, and
distinctive aromas.
A one-stop-shop for West Virginia culture, heritage,
handcrafts, fine art, regional cuisine and
music, Tamarack employs a rigorous jurying
process to ensure product
quality and authenticity.
The fine arts gallery offers
a glimpse of the current art
scene. Live musical, theater,
dance and storytelling performances
are scheduled in
the intimate 178-seat theater.
Tamarack is not only a wellknown
tourist attraction but a
major economic contributor.
The Tamarack System, as a
statewide economic impact
component, affects all 55
counties to the tune of nearly
$40 million in goods and services
purchased to date.
Tamarack’s world-renowned
partner, The Greenbrier, provides
signature dining, dinner
theatre, special events, and
meetings in the Tamarack
Conference Center.
The nucleus of this remarkable
location is a 60,000 sq. ft.
retail store of locally made
handcrafts. You read it right,
one 60,000 square foot store -
not a series of several smaller
shops. From hand-carved furniture
to glass, and pottery to
Appalachian quilts, as well as
Appalachian food and music,
the retail store features thousands
of gifts, with many here
exclusively.
Cindy Whitlock, the Director or Marketing
explains, “We have 22 departments in the store.
The top 10 are glass, gourmet food products, nonfurniture
wood, pottery, books, non-wearable souvenirs,
wearable souvenirs, jewelry, wine, home
textiles.” There really is something for everyone’s
needs, wants, tastes and budgets. Tamarack’s souvenirs
and gifts range in price from marbles for
five cents each to a bronze/glass coffee table for
$16,000.
Among the artists/craftspeople visitors might
encounter and chat with are Tish and Greg
Westman making wooden bowed psalteries; Rod
Queen creating pottery; Elaine Bliss creating fashions
of nontraditional textile art; Boyd Miller a
third-generation glass blower; Roy Waller creating
jewelry; and Frank Hedgecock, a fourth generation
blacksmith.
Crafts are a major part of Tamarack’s merchandise
offerings. Craft sales have totaled
$44.7 million. Product selections are juried in
sessions held three times a year. Jurors are master
crafts artists representing all media. Fine art,
photography, books and music are juried separately.
Almost all (85 percent) of what is showcased
has been purchased outright, with 15 percent
on consignment.
Whitlock notes, “Eighty
five percent of our customers
come from out-of-state due to
our proximity to I-77/64 and
US Rt. 19. West Virginians
rank in the top five for customer
sales.”
Because handmade products
are such a major part of
Tamarack’s giftware, shoppers
are encouraged to buy things
on site. The nature of the
business makes this here
today-gone today, with no
identical replacements tomorrow.
Tamarack uses all the traditional
forms of marketing,
but includes cooperative
advertising with state tourism
and other cultural entities for
special events. Because the
traffic flow is highest May-
October, Tamarack’s Christmas
focus is on a more local
level. “We have a traditional
St. Nicholas dressed in handmade
robes. We contract
local musicians for strolling
throughout the season, plan
evening meal specials to compliment
shopping, and invite
school choirs, orchestras and
ensembles to entertain as
well,” Whitlock states.
Tamarack’s Retail Director
is Zan George. The center
employs four buyers who attend two or more trade
shows annually. Trade and gift show trips are also
offered to artists, thanks to programs funded by
the Tamarack Foundation.
Merchandise trends at Tamarack include functional
items such as treenware (woodenware) and
pottery. Probably because of the economy, highend
decorative items have slowed in sales recently.
The marketing team at Tamarack concludes that
customers are foregoing souvenir
items due to high gas
prices. That could be one of
the reasons they are actively
expanding into on-line selling.
Declares Whitlock, “We
are aggressively working on a
new e-commerce savvy website.”
But, the exclusive
nature of the majority of
Tamarack’s products make ecommerce
a challenge not
faced by most other retailers.
“We’re often asked about online
shopping or a traditional
catalog. However, all
Tamarack products are oneof-
a-kind, handmade items,
which take hours of meticulous
work to create. It’s nearly
impossible to sell, stock,
warehouse and replenish catalog
ordering for artisan
products. So, if a visitor
comes to Tamarack and sees
something he or she likes,
they can call us and describe
it. We can take a digital
photo to email to the customer
and/or hold items for
a few days until the order is
placed by phone.
“If the customer likes a particular
style, color, product
type or artisan, we can provide
contact information, so
the shopper may conduct the
transaction with the artisan and/or order a commissioned
piece."
Next year is Tamarack’s tenth anniversary. The
center expects to greet its 5 millionth guest during
the spring of 2006. For more information, write to
Tamarack, One Tamarack Park, Beckley, WV 25801,
visit the website: www.tamarackwv.com, or call 1-88-
TAMARACK. Shop hours are 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. -
Jan – Mar; 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. - Apr – Dec.
|
SGN Newsletter
