15 An Interview with Global Art Dealer Jan David Winitz Over the past 43 years, Jan David Winitz, founder and president of Claremont Rug Company, has built a global business from a base that initially served only a small number of clients in Northern California. How he developed a company that now places artlevel antique Oriental rugs with clients in over 50 countries on six continents is the product of thoroughly knowing his market, intimately understanding his client base, and concentrating his efforts onwhatmakes his business a rich resource for those he serves. Winitz believes strongly that his underlying business philosophy crosses industry lines and aptly applies to broad consumer marketing segments. As he says, “what you leverage for leadership in your business should set you apart from others in your field. In our case, it is having built a highly curated inventory and purposefully developing ongoing relationships, both with our clients and with a network of sources who provide us access to an extremely valuable and increasingly rarely found product.” He points out that, for the most part, other galleries and global auction houses can no longer offer connoisseurs the best rugs woven during the “Second Golden Age of Persian Weaving,” ca. 1800 to ca. 1910. So limited is the availability of top-tier rugs from this period that Claremont is now developing a dedicated clientele in Asia and the Middle East, along with its longtime following in the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Recently, Winitz sat down with us to discuss how he continues to build on his success in a question-and-answer session. Founder and President of Claremont Rug Company
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