BELLEEK Pottery is to mark the 160th anniversary of continuous production in Fermanagh by launching a special limited edition collection of items reproduced from its archives.
The 16 special pieces - one from each decade of production - have been chosen to illustrate the unique creativity of Belleek craftspeople across its history, and it is aimed primarily at the company’s legions of collectors worldwide.
It comes as the company's latest financial report covering the 12 months to last March showed that net sales of Belleek product decreased by 4 per cent over the year to £8.12 million - well short of its target of £8.93m.
This was as a result of a number of its customers ceasing to trade, including three large outlets, and the directors said the performance of its North American market was exceptionally poor with a decrease in turnover of £150,000.
It was Belleek's fourth year dealing directly with the US market, and the directors said they "continue to struggle to open new channels of distribution" as traditional giftware stores decline.
The company - which employs 150 people - was also hit in 2015/16 due to weakening euro and dollar sales in many of the company's own stores, including its visitor centre.
However, the company's gross margin for the period was up to nearly 40 per cent while following the reclassification of a long-term loan of £4.98m to shareholders funds, the company had net assets at year-end of £7.42m,and the directors have projected sales of £8.4 million for the financial year ended March 2017 and expect the company to break even.
Meanwhile among the products being reproduced in the Archive Collection are ‘The Group of Greyhounds’ figurine from the 1860s, ‘The Henshall Handled Basket’ circa 1890, ‘The Round Tower Centrepiece’ circa 1900, and ‘The Harp Butter Dish’ from the 1930s.
Belleek Pottery Group managing director John Maguire said: “There are very few businesses that survive to celebrate 160 years in continuous operation, and it's perhaps even more remarkable that a small pottery in the remote north west of Ireland that was established to provide much needed employment for local people in the wake of the Irish Famine has gone on to build such a highly regarded international profile and reputation."
He added: "All of the items in the collection are hand-crafted in Belleek, reproduced using the original drawings and moulds by craftspeople, many of whose parents, grandparents and even great-great grandparents worked in the pottery.”
The 2017 Archive Collection, which will be unveiled this weekend at the Showcase Ireland giftware trade show in Dublin, will carry a specially designed 160th anniversary trade mark.
