texasfuelbasketball logo
Search

001 euros the company had a market value of5

Company fails to win more time from creditors Stocks Bonds China UK brands Wedgwood and Royal Doulton in administration Company hopes to find buyer, but market sceptical Group has 8,000 employees worldwide, including 1,900 in UK Consumer gloom hits more British retailers(Adds resignation of chairman paragraph 18) By Andras Gergely DUBLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Ireland's Waterford Wedgwood(WTFu.I), whose luxury tableware was once a mainstay of weddinggift lists worldwide, has called in receivers and placed two ofBritain's most venerable china makers into administration. The heavily indebted maker of Waterford crystal, one ofIreland's most famous brands, also asked on Monday that itsshares be suspended from trading on the Irish Stock Exchangeafter failing to buy more time from creditors. The owner of British potter Wedgwood, founded 250 years agoby Josiah Wedgwood one of the fathers of the industrialrevolution and whose tea and dinner services have gracedroyal tables ever since, had warned in December that it wouldnot be able to pay interest to bondholders. The global financial crisis and ensuing economic slowdownhas already claimed a raft of casualties in the British retailsector, including Woolworths WLW.L, which is set to close thisweek with the loss of 27,000 jobs. Administrators for childrenswear chain Adams said on Mondaythey would close 111 UK stores and make 850 staff redundantwhile administrators at Passion for Perfume said they had cut194 jobs as they seek a buyer for the fragrance retailer.ID:nL5150928 ID:nL5170925 Waterford Wedgwood said a grace period given by its lendershad expired and not been renewed, but it remained optimistic aninvestor would save the group, whose stable of brands alsoincludes Royal Doulton, known for its fine china tableware andfigurines.

The group has some 8,000 employees worldwide, including1,900 working in manufacturing and retail in the United Kingdomand 800 in Ireland. It also employs 1,000 workers at Germany-based porcelain maker Rosenthal. The company, which last year unsuccessfully sought a loanfrom the Irish government, has already cut or moved a lot ofproduction to Asia, leaving 1,500 manufacturing jobs inIndonesia, 600 in the United Kingdom and 450 in Ireland. The group's receiver Deloitte said a number of subsidiaries,including Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd and Royal Doulton Ltd, hadbeen placed into administration, meaning they would continue totrade while buyers are sought. One Dublin-based analyst said it would be very tough to finda buyer for the company, however. "Even if there is a resurgence in the economy any time soonit's difficult to say Waterford Wedgwood will benefit massivelyfrom it," said Killian Murphy, analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers. IN STEADY DECLINE Waterford Wedgwood was trying to modernise its product rangejust as the economic downturn in its main markets Britain andthe United States and the strength of the euro hit earnings,while the credit crisis made talks with lenders more difficult.

Top shareholders led by Anthony O'Reilly, whose mediainterests make him one of Ireland's richest men, have repeatedlypumped extra funds into Waterford Wedgwood. The company said later on Monday that O'Reilly and threeother non-executive board members had resigned with immediateeffect, without giving further details. Waterford Wedgewood's shares have been in steady declinesince 2001 and have traded at fractions of a euro cent since2004, despite the injection of extra funds. Based on last week'sclosing price of 0.001 euros, the company had a market value of5.35 million euros versus net debt that stood at 448.9 million($625.1 million) in October. Waterford Wedgwood's thinly traded 166 million eurosubordinated notes IT018156067, due to mature in December2010, are bid at just 3 percent of face value and offered at 8percent. The company also has a 210 million euro loan, which isdue to mature in June 2010, according to RLPC data. One of the directors to resign, P Redmond O'Donoghue, saidthe company's banks were mainly American and led by Bank ofAmerica (BAC.N).