▁was ▁an ▁artist ▁and ▁not ▁business - mind ed . ▁ ▁He ▁rejected ▁Bo pp ' s ▁suggestions ▁and ▁Bo pp ▁res igned ▁from ▁Ro ok wood . ▁ ▁He ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁former ▁employees ▁discussed ▁creating ▁a ▁new ▁pot tery ▁that ▁would ▁incorpor ate ▁Bo pp ' s ▁ideas ▁for ▁the ▁found ering ▁Ro ok wood ▁company . ▁ ▁Bo pp ▁established ▁the ▁Harold ▁F . ▁Bo pp ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁and ▁selected ▁a ▁location ▁on ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 2 5 ▁( D ix ie ▁Highway ) ▁in ▁Er lang er , ▁Kentucky . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁tra dem ark ▁application , ▁the ▁first ▁products ▁intended ▁for ▁sale ▁were ▁begun ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁first ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁pot tery ▁was ▁fired ▁in ▁the ▁kil n . ▁ ▁Production ▁and ▁market ing ▁Kent on ▁Hills ▁Por cel ains , ▁Inc . ▁officially ▁opened ▁for ▁business ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁Production ▁and ▁output ▁from ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁br isk ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁operation . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁had ▁market ing ▁agre ements ▁with ▁Niem an - M arc us ▁in ▁Dallas , ▁Marshall ▁Field ' s ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁G ump ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁Halle ▁Brothers ▁Co . ▁in ▁Cleveland , ▁and ▁Lord ▁& ▁Taylor , ▁T iff any ▁& ▁Co ., ▁and ▁Georg ▁J ensen ▁Company ,