Caithness Glass at Perth in central Scotland has been saved after a takeover deal was finalised with an English crystal manufacturer.
The future of the firm had been in the balance since August 2006,…
Caithness Glass at Perth in central Scotland has been saved after a takeover deal was finalised with an English crystal manufacturer. The future of the firm had been in the balance since August 2006, when it went into receivership and 12 staff were laid off soon after administrators were called in from Deloitte. It was announced 4 October 2006 that Dartington Crystal, based in south-west England, had bought the Perth firm for an undisclosed sum and would retain all 45 of Caithness Glass“s existing staff. The company will carry on trading under its current brand name. Expansion plans, approved by Perth and Kinross Council in September 2006, will see the site extended to include a retail complex and new visitor centre. John Morris, managing director of Dartington Crystal, said: “Caithness Glass and the visitor centre site provide us with new and exciting opportunities in terms of product markets”. “These will complement our existing Dartington crystal and glass and allow us to strengthen our future business”. Rhona Burns, brand manager at Caithness Glass, said: “This is very positive news. It was announced to the staff on Tuesday night. Everyone is really pleased. Caithness Glass was founded in Wick 45 years ago by local landowner and politician, Robin Sinclair, and was awarded the Queen Mother“s Royal Warrant in 1968. A year later the firm opened a new plant at Oban and in 1979 expanded into a new plant in Perth. Perth later became the site of the company“s headquarters, which is now combined with a visitor centre, viewing gallery, museum of Caithness paperweights and production facility.