New World Women
by Shannon Nass, B.P. Courier
In a tiny village outside of the city of Taxco, Mexico, a group of women artisans saved a centrifugal casting machine from a small foreign-owned factory where they worked. This casting machine became the foundation from which Artesanas Campesinas was built, a worker-owned cooperative in Tecalpulco, Mexico.
Artesanas Campesinas was founded after the collapse of the local handcraft jewelry industry that was brought on by the price pressures of the market globalization of the 1990’s. In addition to the collapse of their local industry, the women of Artesanas Campesinas are the victims of the North American labor migrations of the 1990’s. Most of their husbands have migrated to the U.S. in search of jobs to provide a better living for their families. The distance makes it difficult for them to visit their families often, so the women are left behind to support the family on their own. These women have come together in an effort to provide enough income for their families so that their husbands can return home.
The women who comprise Artesans Campesinas have appropriately dubbed themselves the New World Women of Mexico. These progressive thinking women pooled their talents at jewelry making in an effort to save the local economy and to revive the local handcraft industry. Their specialty is handcrafted jewelry, stone and shell inlays, jewel tone enamels, private label manufacturing and thematic pieces. While the pursuit of profit is certainly a matter of importance, the goals of these women are much broader than that. They are also working to improve their villages by investing a portion of their income into building and renovating their towns. With an annual income of around $3,000 a year, they spend only as much as needed to support their families, with the rest used to develop the village and improve village life. As stated in their own words, “Our handcraft work is who we are, giving us our daily bread and providing a hope that one day things will be better.”
Thousands of miles away, Connie Ruhl of Bethel Park embarked on a journey of her own when she opened Chelos’ Accessory World two years ago. Prior to opening the shop, Ruhl spent 20 years working for Mellon as Assistant Vice President in charge of their training program, and then she ran her own training business after that for 12 years. While she enjoyed the training, selling her services as a trainer proved to be challenging. Says Ruhl, “Selling training is really difficult because it is kind of like selling air. You can talk about a program and show people the materials, but they can’t see the results.” It was then that she decided to pursue her dream of owning a jewelry business. Little did she know that she was about to cross paths with women thousands of miles away who shared similar goals and dreams. While searching the Internet for wholesale jewelry distributors, she came across Artesans Campesinas. She was drawn to them because of her Mexican heritage and their partnership with Texas Woman’s University MBA Study Tour, which offered credibility. Their mission statement, which is “to connect the rich handcrafts tradition of our community with the present day markets of the world in order to provide for our families and give our children dignified lives,” sparked her desire to help other women. Ruhl expressed to them via email her desire to open a retail jewelry business and they in turn expressed their interest in breaking into the North American market. Thus, Chelo’s Accessory World was born. The shop, located on 5304 Park Avenue in Bethel Park, is the perfect union of Ruhl’s business expertise and the delicate craftsmanship of the artisans who comprise Artesanas Campesinas.
The collaboration has been met with success and business is prospering on both ends. To accommodate the growth in business, Ruhl has since partnered with Cindy Cooney and Kathy Oldaker, both of Bethel Park. Cooney and Oldaker are seasoned businesswomen who own their own businesses in addition to their work with Chelo’s Accessory World. Cooney owns C To It Image and Event Design and Oldaker owns Dynamic Systems. Cooney began her event planning business about two years ago. She started by planning events for friends, and then received one good lead that got her business off the ground. Says Clooney, “Even though I was doing events for a long time, once you get one under your belt that you do yourself, you get that security and confidence. You know you can do it.” Her confidence has been led by success as she was recently hired to plan an event for the Byham Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. Oldaker started out by running Dynamic Systems, a software company that provides customized forms and checks for businesses, from her basement. It was Ruhl who encouraged her to move her business into an office. The two shared office space for several years. Oldaker’s business has since taken off and she now owns the building that houses the office space and runs her business from there.
The three women recently returned from a trip to Tecalpulco, where they finally met face to face with the New World Women of Mexico. It was a dream come true for everyone. Ruhl, Cooney and Oldaker experienced first hand how the jewelry is made and have begun working with the women to help them work smarter and faster. The goal is not to turn their cottage industry into a factory, but to help them bring in more income for their families and villages.
Having already defied the odds of being thousands of miles apart, spanning borders and cultures, there is no doubt that these New World Women, Ruhl, Cooney and Oldaker included, will continue their success well into the future.
For more information on Artesanas Campesinas, visit www.artcamp.com.mx.