JUSTIN HANFT INTRODUCED OUR SPEAKERS MICHAEL CALIMERI/PRESIDENT & OWNER OF ARTONE MANUFACTURING AND ANTONIETTA DONISI/HOSPITALITY SALES ASSISTANT.
 
Michael Calimeri / President & Owner: Michael oversees all aspects of the company and is directly involved in sales.
 
After a couple of years at a local community college, Mike started his career on the factory floor when the company was much smaller and is familiar with all aspects of the business.  He appreciates being involved in the everyday workings of the company and makes sure that he not only monitors the operations but is also a productive contributor.  Mike pays attention to all the customers and all their jobs and helps ensure that projects flow through in a timely and efficient manner.
 
With such strong experience and industry knowledge he is an important contributor to sales and customer development.  Mike looks forward to attending trade shows, sales visits, and forming new relationships.  Where necessary Mike will attend meeting with potential new customers in order to answer questions and convey Artone’s philosophy that quality and timeliness drive our business.
 
Mike is proud of the fact that Artone employ's nearly 100 people. He gets great pleasure from knowing that they not only enjoy coming to work, but are able to support their families by so doing. In his own words, “I make every effort to get it right each day because our people care and do a great job.  They deserve to work for a company that gets it right”.
 
Outside of Artone, Mike enjoys cooking, boating, snowmobiling and various home projects.
 
Antonietta Donisi / Hospitality Sales Assistant: Antonietta is Artone’s Sales Assistant. She assists both the Corporate Sales Team as well as the expanding team of Independent Sales Representatives located across the country. While her responsibilities are vast, her primary focus is building Artone’s relationship with current and future customers.
 
Antonietta recently moved back to the Jamestown area from New York City where she graduated (December 2016) from the Fashion Institute of Technology of New York City with a Bachelor of Fashion Business Management and an Associate of Fashion Merchandising Management. She previously worked for Global Brands Group as the Product Development Assistant where she managed the development of a seasonal product for big name brands such as Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein. Since her return to Jamestown, she has used her sales and business skills from her studies to optimize sales in Artone’s sales department. While she is only (2) years into the Hospitality market of business, she continues to learn and develop while mastering her sales skill along the way. In her spare time, she loves to travel, indulge in fine wines, and work on various individual projects of home improvement and clothing design.
 
Mike reintroduced himself to the Club. He was a member in 1998 and found he had to leave the Club due to travel demands on his schedule.
 
Artone purchased their 250,000 sq. ft. present headquarters from Bush Industries and are utilizing 190,000 sq. ft. for floor space and some of the remainder for office space.
 
The company manufactures "case goods" such as headboards, night stands, etc. for hotels primarily. They design and produce the case goods along with mill work such as closets and vanities and then they install all of the finished products. Many of their customers prefer that ARTONE DOES IT ALL. The company work with low and high pressure laminates/formicas or veneers. They incorporate solid wood, quartz, lighting and electrical components into the customer's designs. They have great relationships with the design community and utilize all materials and finally take full responsibility from the design to the finished room.
 
Artone's top sales are in the boutique, one-of-a kind hotels and casinos. The design is made for that specific place and no other. They bring to life the idea or location and build it once and never again.
 
Their second sales niche is standing room decor brands such as the Wyndham brand which consists of five or six grades of hotels. The hotel comes to Artone with the design and they turn it into reality.
 
Calimieri noted the company has one dozen sales representatives throughout the country that provide service and guidance to customers.
 
Artone began manufacturing component parts for office furniture on Institute Street in 1974. They continued producing desks and filing cabinets through most of the 1980s. Companies then began wanting their own products, built to suit their own specific needs and wants. Artone manufactures and installs almost every case good in the MICROTEL Hotel chain. Then the company began divesting into health care nursing homes, etc. In the 1990s, Artone designed and installed the case goods in DSW shoe stores and is in all 600 stores today. These retail fixtures are co-patented with the shoe company.
 
For many years, Artone dabbled in different ventures and finally five years ago they focused on one niche. They still service DSW and health care customers, but their focus is on the hotel, entertainment and hospitality industry. New units include special lighting features and high tech plugin facilities for electronics. The designs are more sophisticated, even featuring motion detectors that turn lighting on and off. Obviously business is difficult during the Covid 19 Pandemic because people aren't traveling, but the company is managing to continue to produce though not at previous levels.
 
Thank you to Mike and Antonietta for a fascinating look at a long-time local business.
 
Be sure to check out their lovely website at www.artonemfg.com.