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With a proud heritage as a British ceramics manufacturer spanning more than 230 years, Churchill China( Churchill) is a name recognized around the globe for its superior quality and innovative designs. As Britain’ s leading ceramic exporter in hospitality, 60 percent of Churchill’ s sales are exports, and the company has become known for its innovative and durable tableware in over 70 countries worldwide.
Churchill’ s home is in Stoke-on-Trent, known in the industry as The Potteries, which has been at the heart of UK ceramics for centuries. At its peak, The Potteries hosted over 300 works and employed an estimated 79,000 people. Despite decline after the Clean Air Act in the 1950s and deindustrialization in the 1980s, the industry still employs 5000 people today, but there are new challenges at hand, primarily rising energy costs and labor inflation. Three of Churchill’ s competitors – Royal Stafford, Moorcroft, and Denby – have all announced closures in the last 12 months due to energy costs and lack of government support.
However, Churchill’ s founding values of entrepreneurship, innovation, infrastructure, and a dedicated workforce remain at its core as it continues to navigate these issues. To learn more about these projects, along with investments in UK manufacturing and the challenges Churchill is navigating, we speak with Sales and Marketing Director James Roper.
“ Churchill manufactures a distinctive ceramic body for use in professional hospitality businesses” James begins.“ The unique blend of raw materials, manufacturing processes, and firing temperatures creates an extremely strong and aesthetically designed product. Our glaze is tested to a minimum of 5000 dishwasher cycles or the equivalent of 13 years in normal use, in comparison to standard testing of 500 dishwasher cycles on domestic ceramics. Our products are also
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