The History of Johnson Brothers China
The Johnson Brothers China company in the United Kingdom has been manufacturing tableware since the late 19th century. Now part of the Wedgwood Group, the company continues to produce fine quality goods. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Beginnings
-
The grandfather of the four Johnson brothers, Alfred, Frederick, Henry, and Robert, owned the famous Meakin china factory, which gave his daughter's sons a taste for the business at early ages. When the Charles Street Works company in Stoke-on-Trent went bankrupt, the brothers bought it in 1882 and launched themselves into the dinnerware business.
Products
-
According to Replacements Ltd., a company in Greensboro, N.C., that specializes in selling rare and discontinued china, the Johnson Brothers China company found its niche in the industry by producing sturdy whiteware with a glaze as fine as that on good porcelains. After World War I, the company began producing dinnerware that was a solid color throughout so that chips didn't show as badly.
-
Growth
-
Business boomed to such an extent that by 1900, the brothers had opened an additional five factories in England, and Robert Johnson moved to the United States to handle the growing trade in trans-Atlantic sales. The website thepotteries.org reports that Johnson Brothers China was extremely popular in the United States after the Civil War because it was beautiful and yet durable.
The World Wars
-
The departure of British men from the workforce to fight in World War I, difficulties getting materials and problems shipping the finished wares all took a toll on Johnson Brothers China, but the company rebounded after the war ended. World War II nearly dealt the company a death blow, but the owners, descendants of the original four brothers, rebuilt and retooled their factories and returned to the business of making dinnerware.
Post-War Expansion
-
The owners of Johnson Brothers China have always been forward thinkers looking for ways to grow their business. After World War II, they continued to develop merchandise made from new materials and in new designs ranging from functional to ethereal. The company opened factories in Canada, the United States and Australia to accommodate its burgeoning international markets.
The Wedgwood Group
-
The Johnson Brothers China company joined the Wedgwood Group in 1968 in a bid to increase its market share even further and to streamline its operations. All Johnson Brothers wares are available on the group's website. Thepotteries.org reports that in 2003, the Johnson Brothers China company moved all its manufacturing operations to China.
-
