Richard A. Barone is the founder of the American Museum of Porcelain Art, slated to open in Ohio in 2017. As part of his efforts to build its holdings, he has purchased the Boehm company, which has been shuttered for more than a year, for an undisclosed amount.

“My interest was in preserving the legacy of Boehm, and doing that through a porcelain art museum that has been put together over the last several years in (South Euclid, Ohio),” he said. “… I felt strongly that this material needed to be preserved.”

While he plans to display many of the company’s pieces at the museum, the transaction also involved production equipment such as molds. And that equipment, he says, could be licensed to other businesspeople who would in turn restore the company’s operations.

“I have been negotiating as I’ve gone through the process of making this purchase,” he said. “At the same time, I’ve been negotiating with one party and potentially another party to begin operations there at Boehm.”

Barone said one party he is talking with is interested in preserving the porcelain restoration division, while at least one other might be interested in restarting production.

“The relationship would be one where the museum, which now owns Boehm, would basically give permission to an individual to use the Boehm name and begin (restoration) operations,” he said. “I’ve made contact with people who would like to start up the production of Boehm, but to this point it hasn’t gone to any serious level.”

Although Barone is a successful businessman in his own right, including serving as the chairman of the Arch Eagle Group, he is not interested in turning around the company himself, he said.

“From a business perspective, I’m personally not interested in the production end of that business, but am willing to talk to individuals that are interested,” he said. “… The museum is not going to be in the production business itself, it will only license the name of Boehm and give the parties access.”

Barone indicated that anyone taking over the Boehm production would likely keep it in Trenton, which is also home to two other prominent porcelain makers.

“The facility would definitely stay in Trenton,” he said. “Nothing is set in stone, but I don’t see why anybody would want to move it from where it is.”