Aynsley China

Aynsley China Ltd. was a British manufacturer of bone china tableware, giftware and commemorative items.[1][2][3]

Aynsley China
IndustryBone china
Founded1775
FounderJohn Aynsley
ProductsTableware, giftware, commemorative items
ParentBelleek Pottery
Aynsley "Orchard Gold" pattern dish, 20th century

History

The company was founded in 1775 by John Aynsley in Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire. In 1861 his grandson John Aynsley built the historic Portland Works on Sutherland Road, Longton, Staffordshire.[4] The company's profitability made it a desirable acquisition. In June 1970 Spode put in a bid, this was then topped in July by Denbyware. Discussions then followed with Waterford Glass and a £1 million bid was agreed. In 1970 John Aynsley and Sons was taken over by Waterford and renamed Aynsley China Ltd. In 1987 Waterford sold the company in order to focus the group's fine china sales on the worldwide Wedgwood brand.[5]

In May 1997, Aynsley China was acquired by The Belleek Pottery Group in Ireland. The company closed its Stoke-on-Trent factory in September 2014.[6] As of July 2015 the factory shop is still open but its future is uncertain as the site is being advertised as for sale.

Products

The company is a favoured supplier of the British royal family. Both Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, chose Aynsley china as wedding presents from the British china industry.[7]

Aynsley's market has historically been within the United Kingdom.[5] In the 1970s the brand was a favourite choice among Britain's Romany and travelling communities, who displayed china in their caravans as a status symbol.[8]

References
  1. "Belleek.com". www.aynsley.co.uk.
  2. "Aynsley China, Stoke-on-Trent". Britain's Finest.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2010-08-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2010-08-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Strategic Management Cases, p625
  6. "Aynsley China shuts its factory in Longton". 19 December 2014 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. Invitation to a Royal Wedding, p59
  8. "Gypsy Trailer Caravans - The Height of Flash". Gypsy Waggons web site. Retrieved 11 May 2017.

Bibliography
  • Spink, Kathryn (1988). Invitation to a Royal Wedding. Random House.
  • Digman, Lester (1995). Strategic Management Cases. DAMe Publications.
  • Hands, David (2009). Vision and Value in Design Management. Bloomsbury.
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