Christopher Radko, a Division of Rauch Industries, Inc.
Started as a family business in 1952, Rauch products have decorated homes for more than half a century and include ornamental glass balls, soft goods such as tree skirts and stockings and seasonal home decor items. Today, the Rauch brand is is a market leader in the holiday giftware and seasonal goods industries. The company designs and distributes its leading products under the Rauch, Christopher Radko® and Celebrations by Radko™ brands and distributes through mass retailers, department stores and independent gift retailers nationwide. Rauch’s corporate headquarters and distribution center is located in Gastonia, North Carolina. For more information regarding Rauch, please call 1-800-313-1830 or click here to send an inquiry.
Heather Shepardson, CEO
Heather’s leadership at Rauch Industries is not simply the sum of her success in the Fortune 500 businesses she has served, but is ultimately derived from her passion and enthusiasm for holiday celebrations and time honored traditions.
Since childhood, Heather has been enamored with the Christmas holiday season. She spent the holidays surrounded by her family, inventing new and creative ways to decorate each year. One year, she and her grandfather came up with an invention to keep the tree watered so that no one would have to crawl underneath each day to pour more water into to the tree stand. Years later, Heather went on to commercialize and market this same clever product as the Ever-Green Watering System. It became a wildly popular, must- have holiday product featured on Today and in Oprah’s O Magazine gift guide, among others.
After founding and operating Ever-Green Seasons, Inc., Heather joined Rauch Industries in 2008. Long an admirer of Christopher Radko products, Heather brings her lively and enchanting nature to the special spirit and enduring mission of the company. Today, she spends much of her time in Europe, hand selecting artisans and factories to ensure that the Christopher Radko products are of the highest quality and feature only the most beautiful designs. In the U.S., Heather works closely with Christopher Radko’s designers to ensure that each ornament is a true treasure for families, collectors and all those who appreciate the fine quality of the hand-crafted keepsakes. Her creativity, commitment to excellence and business acumen are all in tune with the beauty and ceremony that defines the #1 producer of fine European glass ornaments and holiday collectibles.
Heather has previously held executive, management and sales positions with several Fortune 500 businesses including Level 3 Communications, Qwest Communications, The Coors Brewing Company and Nike, Inc. All of these positions worked together to set the foundation for her current success at Christopher Radko and in the holiday sector. Heather currently makes her home in New York City.
Jeffrey Hauser, CFO
Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Hauser is responsible for managing the company’s finances and general accounting. Prior to his tenure with Rauch Industries, Jeff served as the Chief Financial Officer of MedSave USA, a diversified international health care company, and as the AVP of Finance for Randstad North America, a national provider of staffing services.
He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh, a BS in Mathematics from SUNY Stony Brook, certification as a licensed Certified Public Accountant, and currently serves on the adjunct faculty of the City University of New York, teaching financial accounting and introduction to investments.
Jeff is a sports enthusiast and is the majority owner of a professional indoor football franchise located in Erie, PA (www.erieexplosion.com).
For over a quarter of a century, the Christopher Radko name has symbolized a standard of excellence within the giftware industry . The unparalleled producer of the finest European-made glass ornaments, The Christopher Radko brand is developed for and marketed through more than 2,500 leading retailers, including major department stores and specialty gift retailers nationwide. For more information regarding the Christopher Radko Division of Rauch Industries, please call 1-800-RADKO-09.
With the introduction of Celebrations by Radko, the creative team of Christopher Radko applies its expertise to create a fresh new line of decorative holiday ornaments and makes this contemporary collection of original designs available to millions at an exceptional value.