In a bid to woo overseas customers, two of Scandinavia“s most prestigious luxury goods makers have announced that they are to join forces. Orrefors Kosta Boda, the Swedish glass manufacturer, and Den…
In a bid to woo overseas customers, two of Scandinavia“s most prestigious luxury goods makers have announced that they are to join forces. Orrefors Kosta Boda, the Swedish glass manufacturer, and Denmark“s porcelain, silver and glass producer Royal Copenhagen AS said they would work together to improve distribution and boost sales in key export markets. The cooperation agreement, which took effect as of 1 August, will cover the US, Australia, Germany and Austria. The two companies, renowned internationally for high quality crystal and tableware, will also try to expand their sales networks into South America and Eastern Europe. Royal Copenhagen is 79% owned by brewer Carlsberg AS. Orrefors Kosta Boda“s glass products, ranging from snowball shaped candle holders to luxury champagne flutes and crystal ornaments, are some of the most sought-after Swedish made goods. Former rivals Orrefors and Kosta Boda merged in 1990 but kept their trademarks separate. This gave the new company a dominant position in Sweden“s glass market, owning about half of the nation“s glassworks. Orrefors Kosta Boda is partly owned by Sweden“s Wallenberg industrial dynasty through investment group Incentive AB. In addition, Orrefors is to rationalise its warehousing operations. Out of its three central warehouses in Orrefors, Kosta and Sandvik, the company is to create a single unit. It is hoping that natural wastage will account for any workforce reductions.