The takeover and mooted comeback of famous china and glass maker Waterford Wedgwood plc. by a private equity firm subsidiary has been warmly welcomed by one of Bermuda's biggest stockists of the merchandise.

In January, The Royal Gazette reported that Waterford Wedgwood's UK and Ireland-based operations went into administration/receivership, but its US business and Royal Doulton USA had not gone into administration and it was a case of "business as usual" in the American market, according to a letter sent by Dick Kunkle, the president of Wedgwood USA & Royal Doulton USA, to customers and partners.

Peter Darling, managing director of William Bluck & Co. Ltd., which has been carrying the popular line for the past 20 years in its Front Street shop, said he was delighted that the popular brand would continue to be made and supplied. AS Cooper & Sons Ltd. is also understood to have stocked the brand for 100 years.

KPS Capital Partners LP, a New York-based private equity firm, announced last week that WWRD Holdings Ltd., a new company formed by KPS, had acquired certain assets of Waterford Wedgwood and its subsidiaries.

The deal involved the purchase of certain Waterford, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton assets in the UK, the US and Canada, intellectual property in Ireland and share of certain Wedgwood and Royal Doulton subsidiaries based in Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia.

"It seems like they are a really good company," said Mr. Darling. "They have cherry-picked the best and kept the Wedgwood Waterford and Royal Doulton name and they have bought those prized asset from the reserves in Europe.

"We are thrilled — it is the rise from the ashes by Wedgwood Waterford — it is a great company and a great brand. In our field it is a major brand and it is a big pull — it is like Prada is to Lusso in Front Street. "Brands are needed by shops in the 21st century — you need your Black & Decker and Sony TVs because you run your business on brand awareness. It is just the way it is and in a recession it makes people feel good to have a known and trusted brand."

KPS also said that Pierre de Villemejane had been named CEO of WWRD Holdings, having previously worked for Speedline Technologies Inc., a KPS portfolio company, prior to its sale to Illinois Tool Works Inc. He will be joined by a senior management team consisting of executives from Waterford Wedgwood, including Anthony Jones, Moira Gavin and Ralf Kuhn.