Automotive Tweeting

The tale of the line begins in 1730 with the birth of Josiah Wedgwood to a family who made pottery.  At six years old, Josiah was an apprentice and by 14 he had suffered a bout of smallpox that weakened his right knee.  By 1760, Josiah had his own factory and had been fiddling with different formulas of porcelain, clays and glazes and technological advances in the art of transferring designs to the finished product.  In 1765 he made a total set for Queen Charlotte, advertised himself as the’potter to the Queen’ and his business took off. 

Josiah’s crowning feat was his creation of Jasperware.  Jasper is translucent clay that marries the basalt and Josiah’s original formulas to produce a dense, homogeneously coloured stoneware.  After more than ten thousand failed experiments with varied clays and glazes, Jasperware was launched in 1775 to overpowering success, particularly to his consumers in the new democracy of the U.  S.  of America.  Josiah stated shortly thereafter,’there was no item too rich or too dear for Americans.’

Wedgwood died in 1795 and the business was left to his boys, who, having been brought up wealthy, had absolutely little interest in running it.  The job slid to a nephew, Tom Byerly who struggled significantly with the burden of managing a company he had small love for.  The subsequent 25 years proved difficult for the company and Josiah II took control of to turn things around by restoring the formulas and business standards set by his pa.  Obviously, repeated economic chaos, wars and growing competition made the 1800’s really tricky and it was not until the 20 th Century, under the management of Josiah V that things started to improve. 

With new, streamlined manufacturing facilities, assertive worldwide selling especially in America, and exclusive designs, Wedgwood China products started gaining eminence in the industry.  In 1966, Wedgwood’s shares were introduced into the London Stock exchange and since that time, the Corporation has been concerned in assertive expansion.  The assets of Susie Cooper, Royal Tuscan, William Adams, Franciscan, Mason’s Ironstone, Waterford, and Rosenthal have been merged with Wedgwood to form the Wedgwood group.  Josiah Wedgwood I might be proud.

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