At Motawi Tileworks, every tile has a story—and so do the people behind them. In this edition of Motawi Makers, we caught up with Rhiannon VanWasshenova, one of our press operators (and unofficial queen of clay troubleshooting). Whether she’s keeping Betty Lou the pugmill running smooth or wrangling English Lop rabbits at home, Rhiannon brings heart, humor, and a bit of steampunk flair to everything she touches. Read on to meet Rhiannon, and get a peek behind the press:
What’s your name and what’s your role at Motawi?
I’m Rhiannon VanWasshenova, and I’m one of the press operators here at Motawi Tileworks.
How long have you been here?
About four and a half years.
Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you?
I usually come in between 7 and 7:30 a.m. and check the board right inside the green door to see where I’m at on target with made-to-order tile. Everything’s in dollars, so I check how much I need to make that day to stay on target. Then I grab my cards from my box near Autumn’s sink, look at what I’ve got, and set up Betty Lou—the pugmill.
So you have to plan what runs through Betty Lou?
Yep. I try to keep all the similar size cards together, since there are different wire setups for things like 4x8s or 6x6s. After that, I prep my molds, put them in the press, hook up the air lines, and then I run out my pugs. I turn on my music or a podcast, and then just…press tile.
And then you press tile all day? Does it feel repetitive?
I like it. There’s always variety in the cards—some days it’s four tiles, some days it’s a thousand. You just follow the cards.
What did you do before coming to Motawi Tileworks?
I worked at an aluminum anodizing factory in Monroe. I handled shipping and receiving. There were only two of us—I stayed in the air-conditioned office, and the other guy stayed on the forklift. I scheduled all the pickups, handled the paperwork, and moved about 15-20 semis a day. It was chaos—but I have three kids; can handle chaos.
How did you hear about Motawi?
I found Motawi in 2017 when they had a graphic design position open. I had just graduated college and almost applied... but I chickened out. Life got busy, but I kept watching. It looked like such a fun place. Eventually, I applied for a press operator position, which felt familiar from my old job working with pneumatic presses. They called me back, and here I am.
What made you want to work here?
It looked like such a positive, creative environment. I wanted out of automotive and into something more artistic.
Do you remember your first day?
Oh yeah—I was terrified! They put me right on the press with Jeff, who looked and acted just like the guy I worked with at my old job. It felt weirdly familiar. But everyone was super nice, and I thought, “This is such a big change—and I love it.”
What part of your work do you enjoy the most?
Seeing everything come together and especially getting feedback from the front office when customers send in photos of finished projects. I love seeing what we made, out in the world.
Is there a moment you felt especially proud?
When I first started, we were having issues with cracks in the corners. I played around with the clay and pressing process and figured out it was because the clay in the corners was folding on itself. We adjusted how we prepped the pugs and—bam—problem solved. That felt good.
What’s something you’ve gotten better at?
Minimizing defects. It was a learning curve at first, but now I can spot most issues right away and know what caused them.
What’s something about your job that people might not expect?
That it’s not just putting clay in and pushing a button. There’s a lot of thinking, troubleshooting, and problem-solving that goes into it.
What’s something surprising about working at Motawi?
Honestly, the positive vibe. Where I came from, nobody asked how you were doing. Here, people care. They ask us how we're doing every week at the Huddle. And I’ve been on TV more in the past couple years than ever before, thanks to all the factory tours.
Speaking of the tours, I once heard a loud bang from the press—it sounded like a gunshot. How often does that happen?
Every day! It’s just air escaping when the pug is a bit too big for the mold cavity. I can usually tell when it’s going to happen, but it still makes me jump.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have a farm where we raise animals. We have about 70 rabbits total with five different breeds. Most of which are English Lops that we show at ARBA shows. They’re like the basset hounds of the rabbit world—big floppy ears, clumsy, adorable. We also have goats, chickens, ducks, and my daughter shows sheep for 4H.
Any other hobbies or side projects?
I love drawing—mostly old-fashioned cars, in pen, charcoal, or graphite. I haven’t shown anyone outside my family, but my dad keeps telling me I should sell them. I also crochet and bring some of those projects to the employee art sale.
What’s something about you that might surprise your coworkers?
I don’t know—I feel like they know everything about me already. Maybe that I want to start doing ceramics again. I inherited a bunch of old slip molds, including those vintage ceramic Christmas trees. Someday, I’d love to turn that into a side business.
Lightning round! Morning person or night owl?
Morning.
Coffee, tea, or something stronger?
Coffee.
Favorite Motawi tile?
Charley Harper’s Brrrrdbath, of the cardinal in the snow.
If your job was a tile, what would it look like?
Something steampunk-y and mechanical.
One word to describe Motawi?
Fun.
What are you excited about right now, at work or in life?
At work, I’m excited about cross-training in the back, maybe getting into dip glazing. And in life, we’re getting ready for the big ARBA rabbit convention in Indianapolis. My daughter and I are figuring out which rabbits we’re taking—and making sure they behave for the judges.
Any dreams for the future?
To get that ceramic side business going. I’ve got all the molds, the kiln, everything... just need the time. Between the animals and life, it’s been on the back burner, but someday…
Whether she’s pressing clay, solving mysteries in the Tileworks, or heading to a rabbit show with her daughter, Rhiannon reminds us that craftsmanship is about more than just process—it’s about passion, persistence, and a bit of play.
Want to meet more of the folks behind your favorite Motawi tiles? Stay tuned for more stories from our amazing team in future Motawi Makers posts.
