Several years ago, MacKenzie-Childs Ltd. needed a new kiln. They were using one Keith kiln at the time, but needed more capacity. The company priced a variety of kilns, and decided to try a less expensive model from a different manufacturer. Unfortunately, that decision proved to be disastrous.

"That kiln was a joke from the day it was built," says Richard Mackenzie-Childs. "It was very expensive, considering it collapsed on the first firing. It was a nightmare from beginning to end. We kept it limping along for a number of years because the investment was so high, but then the company disappeared and it was an unpleasant situation."

Having learned a valuable lesson, Richard approached Keith with a request to build another kiln. The second Keith envelope kiln Mackenzie-Childs purchased went on-line in September 1999, and has provided trouble-free operation since then.
 
"The second Keith kiln came on-line even better than the first one," says Richard. "It arrived, and once it was assembled, we turned it on and the performance has been great."

According to kiln operator Dale Dziuba, anywhere from 400 to 1000 pieces go through the kiln each day, depending on the size of the pieces. Glazed pieces are fired at 1850 F, and luster pieces are fired at 1450 F.

"One of the nice features of the kiln is that, with its motorized drive system, you dont have to push it back and forth by hand," says Dziuba.

Keiths kilns are designed to meet the specific needs of each customer. MacKenzie-Childs Ltd. had specific kiln size requirements and also required a relatively short firing schedule.

"We get our electricity veiy inexpensively at night, so the kilns have to go on at a certain time and off at a certain time in order to get the cheaper rate. There is such a cost savings that its essential that we stay within that specific time frame," explains Richard.

Keith was able to meet all of MacKenzie-Childs kiln performance requirements, and then some.

"They did a really great job designing this kiln," says Richard. "Weve tried a variety of different kilns, but the Keith kiln has much fewer maintenance requirements and far greater reliability than any other kiln weve used."

"And Keith is a great company to work with. We can call them and ask them questions as often as we need to. Their level of service and the quality of their product are both really, really good."