About Arbiter

Arbiter is a wholesale business that focuses on brand development of design-focused international companies. Now a stand alone business, it began as a division of Salt of the Earth, a direct-to-retail importer located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Since 1999 Salt of the Earth focused its merchandise selection on high-quality artisan items from Europe and Mexico. Before it closed in 2013, Salt of the Earth had grown to two retail locations where it cultivated a loyal following while discovering small studios and producers of hand-made products that are traditionally underrepresented in the U.S. market. Over 14 years Salt of the Earth developed relationships with many artisans and studios and decided to launch a division to work to develop brand awareness and offer these products at price points to facilitate their salability in the U.S. Since 2010 this enterprise has worked with a carefully curated group of these businesses. Many of the businesses are well established and have or have had some market presence in the US. The common thread through these collections is a high standard of design and hand-made ethic. This can exist as an elegant crystal vase or an organic cast resin serving bowl. Read their story