VENTURA COUNTY BUSINESS : VENTURA COUNTY REVIEW : Camarillo Company Pens New Chapter With Waterford Line

Traditionally, the Camarillo name has not been associated with the Waterford name.

Though Camarillo’s reputation has grown in recent years with its premium outlet stores and expanding collection of high-tech businesses, the city doesn’t conjure up the same upscale image as Waterford, the port town in Ireland that gave birth to Waterford Crystal.

But businessman Tom Dodson is hoping to change that.

Dodson heads Tekera Group LLC, a new Camarillo company created to distribute Waterford Writing Instruments. Tekera is licensed by the Waterford company to market lines of stylish roller-ball and fountain pens worldwide under the crystal company’s established name.

Dodson, a Thousand Oaks resident, is a former partner in the Los Angeles-based Lodis Corp., which had been the sole distributor of the pens--as well as Waterford luggage and other leather products--from 1997 until August, when he bought out the pen inventory and founded Tekera.

“Waterford is very protective of their name, but they wanted to broaden consumer awareness of their brand,” Dodson said. “They’re not aggressive in licensing, but they are looking at additional opportunities.”

Most of the Waterford pens range from $30 to $75.

They are etched with stars, wedges and other patterns distinctive to Waterford crystal and constructed with 18-karat gold nibs.

“It’s very much the image of Waterford,” Dodson said. “Waterford is expensive, but affordable. That’s what we try to be, expensive but affordable.”

Tekera also is marketing a limited-edition series of pens retailing for $795 each.

Dodson said he realizes the upscale-pen industry--which includes companies such as Parker, Montblanc, Waterman and Cross--may have a somewhat exclusive clientele, but he’s confident the pen market will thrive among gift buyers and corporate executives.

“If you’re going to buy food or a pen, guess what, you’ll buy the food,” he said. “But we’d like to have people desire to own the pens--maybe it’s something they can shoot for. If you’re an achiever in this world, this product may be something you want in your executive toolbox.”

Dodson said the Waterford pens are the first of several product lines Tekera plans to distribute.

“We plan to have writing instruments under the Tekera label too, more moderate-price points that we’ll market to more of the superstores and more through e-commerce,” he said. “We’re also going to, in time, get more into some phases of the women’s accessory business. Women know the Waterford name, and we want to further develop items for women.”