Crystal company in partnership with China chain
Tipperary Crystal is linking up with a retail chain in China and using the expertise of a number of people who worked in the past with iconic brand Waterford Crystal to tap into the growing appetite in the far east for quality goods.
The crystal company has established a partnership with a retail chain owned by businesswoman Zhou Xiaoguang.
According to the managing director of Tipperary Crystal, Declan Fearon, the move into China is a result of over two years of preparatory work and negotiation.
“Getting an agreement and an understanding in China takes a long time. You have to go through the relationship-building exercise, which is part of the whole deal-making process out there.”
The company owned by Zhou Xiaoguang specialises in crystal jewellery, Mr Fearon said, and she saw the potential for a link with Tipperary Crystal.
“We’ve been in and out and had the thousand cups of tea and they’ve been over here and they committed firmly last December and started rolling out the shops in January. Now it’s how can we get the stock out quickly enough to them.”
Recent visits between the Irish and Chinese governments, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s five-day trade mission last month, have opened the door to Irish business, according to the Tipperary Crystal boss. “Suddenly, now, to do business with an Irish company is the favourable thing in China and we happen to be in the right place at the right time.”
Some of those most deeply involved in the project previously worked with Waterford Crystal before that company went into receivership in January of 2009, including a man described by Declan Fearon as “the best crystal designer in the world,” Martin Croke who was with the Waterford company for 40 years.
Since 2009 he has been studying visual arts at Waterford Institute of Technology and working part-time with Tipperary Crystal, where he is now set for a new chapter in his life. “It’s very exciting, it’s great to be doing it,” he said yesterday.
