Warning signs for tradition are becoming crystal clear

IF Waterford Wedgwood can knock 70% plus off the unit cost of production by outsourcing its earthenware division to China, surely that raises serious question marks over the 16,000 jobs at Waterford Crystal Clearly there is no sentiment in business.

The 1,058 people working at Johnson Brothers know that to their cost.

Johnson Brothers has been operating in the heart of the ceramics industry in England for 120 years, a lot longer than Waterford Crystal has been in Waterford.