Waterford Crystal

The origins of crystal production in Waterford date back to 1783[2] when George and his nephew William Penrose started their business, the Waterford Glassworks. It produced extremely fine flint glass that became world-renowned. Their Waterford company closed in June 1851,[3] with the loss of 53-100 jobs.

The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, led by Sir Horace Plunkett, had sponsored John St John Lyburn's experiments at replicating the Waterford Glassworks style of glass at a small glassworks built at the Greater Cork International Exhibition of 1903. Lyburn was later sent to discuss a 1912 proposal by the principal of Waterford's Central Technical Institute to provide instruction in glassmaking, which was followed by a 1913 proposal for commercial production within the school. The expert input was that it was not yet time for Waterford people to resume glassmaking, but there was discussion with an American investor seeking a glass factory location in Ireland. The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Richard Sheehan, was opposed to foreign investment due to the risk of "foreign influences" and the investor was not persuaded to set up in Waterford.[4]

In 1933 a Belgian company explored opening a finishing plant in Waterford, and this was discussed with the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Seán Lemass, who was keen to secure a glass factory for Waterford. The Belgian project did not proceed but in 1935 a Dublin jeweller, Bernard J. Fitzpatrick, approached a senior official in the Department of Industry and Commerce about an Irish glass-making concept, and in 1937 a local group in 1937 proposed a project to involve the German company of Otto Maetz of Düsseldorf. This latter was studied by Lemass, still Minister for Industry and Commerce, and the Irish representative in Berlin, Charles Bewley, but was not realised. Meantime, in 1938 Fitzpatrick approached a Czech friend and supplier, Karel (Charles) Bacik,[5] who had four glass factories, about setting up in Waterford. Bacik expressed interest but could not move to Ireland due to have commitments to a young family, and further discussions were delayed by World War II.[4]

Glass blower at Waterford glass factory

A workman at Waterford Crystal cutting glass

Bernard Fitzpatrick visited Charles Bacik shortly after World War II ended, in January 1946, and secured special permits to visit again in May. This time Bacik, his family home taken over by the USSR Armed Forces and his factories nationalised, accepted Fitzpatrick's proposal to restart glassmaking in Waterford, and they agreed on the organisation of the factory, with Bacik to secure key staff, and Fitzpatrick a site and permissions. Fitzpatrick agreed a location at Ballytruckle, by Waterford's greyhound track and a soccer ground with the City Manager, and shared the plans with the Department of Industry and Commerce. On arrival he also accommodated the Baciks, with beds provided by Denis Guiney of Clerys department store. Bacik visited Waterford in August 1946, and sought permission for the factory in October. After also exploring Carlow as a possible location, Bacik formally applied for a lease on the Ballytruckle lands in January 1947, and it was granted for 75 years. Finance was secured from various sources, including a government loan, and construction began 3 April 1947.[6] Skilled crystal workers were not available in Ireland so continental Europeans were engaged, starting in June 1947 with Bacik's fellow countryman and former intern,[6] the designer Miroslav Havel.[7] A glass-cutting machine began operation for apprentice work in August 1947, but progress was limited by an explosion, and initial production was only of "soda glass". First glass blowing was on 11 September 1947, and first official cutting on 21 September.[6]

By the early 1950s it had been taken over as a subsidiary of the Irish Glass Bottle company, owned by Joseph McGrath, Richard Duggan and Spencer Freeman of the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake, heavy investors in Irish business at that time.[8]

In 1970 John Aynsley and Sons was taken over by Waterford and renamed Aynsley China Ltd.

At peak operations, Waterford employed 3,000 staff in a city of 46,000.[9]

Jasper Conran began designing his signature range of crystal for Waterford in 1999. The endeavour evolved into four unique lines for Waterford and a complementary tableware collection in fine bone china for Wedgwood in 2001. The Hong Kong-born Irish fashion designer John Rocha started designing a range of cut crystal stemware and vases in collaboration with glass designer Marcus Notley in 2001.[10]

Previous Waterford Crystal showroom at Kilbary in Waterford

Due to rising competition Waterford Wedgwood announced the closure of its second Irish factory, in Dungarvan, in May 2005, in order to consolidate all operations into the main factory in Kilbarry, Waterford City, where 1,000 people were employed by the company. The move resulted in nearly 500 Dungarvan workers losing their jobs. In this period some production (20% by 2007) was outsourced to factories in the Czech Republic and Poland,[9] and later also to Slovenia.

Waterford Crystal Limited was, until March 2009, a subsidiary of Waterford Wedgwood plc, itself formed through the acquisition by the then Waterford Glass Group of the famous pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood in 1986. The last chairman was Tony O'Reilly, and the CEO John Foley. The leading shareholders of the holding company were former billionaire O'Reilly and his family, joined in the last decade by O'Reilly's brother-in-law, Greek shipping heir Peter Goulandris.

Waterford Wedgwood was forced into receivership in early 2009 during the Great Recession. On 5 January 2009, news of the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood PLC was announced in Ireland and the UK.[11]

On 30 January 2009 it was announced that the Waterford Crystal plant in Kilbarry was to shut down immediately, despite earlier promises to discuss any such move with the unions in advance. The Kilbarry operation featured a tourist centre offering guided tours of the factory, a gift shop, café, and gallery. Many of the employees performed an unofficial sit-in.[12] The sit-in made the BBC News,[13] hoping to prevail upon receiver Deloitte to retain those jobs.[14] On 4 February 2009, there were protests across the city at how the workers were being treated. On 27 February 2009, the receiver, David Carson of Deloitte, confirmed US equity firm KPS Capital were to purchase certain overseas assets and businesses of the Waterford Wedgwood Group.[15] The sit in ended in March 2009 after workers agreed to split a payment of €10m.[16] The fight by the workers to keep the factory open is chronicled in a PBS online documentary.[17]

Under the receivership managed by Deloitte, ownership of most of Waterford Wedgwood plc's assets was transferred to KPS Capital Partners in March 2009. Waterford Crystal, along with Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, and other brands, were transferred to the new company WWRD Holdings Ltd.[18] The sale did not include the factory or visitor centre in Kilbary, and the visitor centre shut its doors on 22 January 2010.[19] A new visitor and manufacturing facility opened in June 2010.[20]

On 11 May 2015 in a deal that closed in July 2015,[1] the Fiskars Corporation, a Finnish maker of home products, agreed to buy 100% of the holdings of WWRD.[21] On 2 July 2015 the acquisition of WWRD by Fiskars Corporation was completed including brands Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert and Rogaška. The acquisition was approved by the US antitrust authorities.[22]