Waterford Crystal

Waterford Crystal is an Irish manufacturer of crystal glassware, especially cut glass products. It is named after the city of Waterford in Ireland. In January 2009, the main Waterford Crystal manufacturing base on the edge of Waterford was closed due to the insolvency of Waterford Wedgwood plc, and in June 2010, Waterford Crystal relocated almost back to the roots of glass-making in the city centre. The Mall location holds both a manufacturing facility that melts over 750 tonnes of crystal a year – although most Waterford Crystal is now produced outside Ireland – and a visitor centre with the world's largest collection of Waterford Crystal. Since 2015, the brand has been owned by Fiskars Corporation.[1]

History

Waterford Glassworks

The origins of crystal production in Waterford date back to 1783,[2] when George Penrose and his nephew William Penrose started their business, the Waterford Glassworks. It produced extremely fine

Foundation of 1947

Bernard Fitzpatrick visited Charles Bacik shortly after World War II ended, in January 1946, and secured special permits to visit again in May. Bacik 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 he 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 on 3 April 1947. 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, the designer Miroslav Havel.[5] 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.[7]

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. In 1971, the company provided playing facilities for a newly formed association football club at Waterford Crystal Sports Complex in Ballinaneesagh. The club, initially named Waterford Glass F.C., later changed their name to Waterford Crystal F.C. following re-branding of the company.[8]

In 1986, Waterford Crystal acquired Wedgwood, a British manufacturer of bone china and fine ceramics, to create a new Ireland-based luxury brands group called Waterford Wedgwood plc.[9]

Products

Most Waterford crystal is now produced outside Ireland in countries such as Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany. Waterford produces many patterns of lead and non-lead crystal stemware, including lines such as Adare, Alana, Colleen, Kincora, Lismore, Maeve, Tramore, and many others.

In 1966, Waterford's chandeliers were installed in Westminster Abbey for the 900th anniversary of the dedication of the abbey after Christoper Hildyard, a minor canon of the abbey for 45 years, convinced the Guinness family to pay for them.[25] Chandeliers hang in other notable buildings, such as Windsor Castle, and the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.[26] Waterford Crystal made the 2,688 crystals for the famous New Year's Eve Ball that is dropped each year in New York City's Times Square. The ball is an 11875 lb geodesic orb, 12 ft in diameter and is lit by 32,256 Lumileds Luxeon Rebel LEDs.[27][28]

One of the most popular products in their collection is the "Apprentice Bowl". It requires 600 precision cuts, all done by hand. Cutters would set out to complete this bowl in their fifth and final year of apprenticeship. They were only permitted three attempts, where the cutter would then be graded and if they passed it would receive the Waterford Crystal watermark.[29]

Sporting trophies are also crafted by Waterford,[5] such as the Masters Series crystal shield trophies that are awarded to the winner of each of the nine men's professional tennis Masters Series tournaments, the AFCA National Championship Trophy that is awarded to the US college football team which finishes the season at the top of the Coaches Poll, and a representation of the Ashes urn that is presented to the winners of the Test cricket series between England and Australia. The trophy for the Masters snooker championship is also made by Waterford Crystal, as is the Scottish Open snooker championship trophy.

Also crafted by Waterford are the winning trophies for the French, Belgian and German Grand Prix in Formula One, a bat and ball trophy presented at the final game at Yankee Stadium to Derek Jeter and a glass tennis racket for Boris Becker.[5] They also design the trophies for the People's Choice Awards.[30]

type	Subsidiary
industry	Glass production
founded	1947
products	Glassware
parent	Fiskars Corporation
website	https://www.waterford.com

History

Waterford Glassworks

Revival attempts

Foundation of 1947

1990s onward

Consolidation

2009 receivership

Acquisition by Fiskars

Products

See also

External links

References