Lladró
| Lladró Comercial SA | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1953 |
| Seat |
 Spain , Tavernes Blanques , Valencia |
| Branch | Porcelain figurines |
| Website | www.lladro.com |
Lladró is a Spanish company that makes high quality porcelain figurines . The company is located in Tavernes Blanques in the autonomous region of Valencia .
Company history
Lladró was founded in 1953 by the brothers Juan, José and Vicente Lladró in the town of Almácera near Valencia . At first only vases and small jugs were made from porcelain. In 1956 the production of porcelain figurines began, with which the company became famous worldwide.
The success of the figures led to the workshop being enlarged several times, until the company moved to a new production facility in Tavernes Blanques in 1958.
After that, Lladró developed as follows:
- 1962: The Lladró brothers open a training school in the vicinity of their company to impart knowledge about making porcelain figures. The school still exists today.
- 1969: In October the so-called "Porcelain City" is inaugurated by the Spanish Minister of Industry. It was built over the course of two years and houses workshops in a green environment in which over 2,000 people work.
- 1970: Lladró starts making figures from the new ceramic material gres . It is earth-colored and is mainly used for natural motifs.
- 1973: Lladró acquires a 50% share in the American company Weil Ceramics & Glass.
- 1974: The new company logo is introduced. It consists of a blue bellflower and from now on appears on the floor of all figures. The so-called "Elite Collection" will also be launched this year.
- 1984: Daniela, Mari Carmen and Juan Vicente Lladró, each daughter and son of the three company founders, join the company. They had to go through a rigorous and long training beforehand.
- 1985: The Lladró Collectors Association is established. The first figure will be auctioned for several thousand euros .
- 1986: Lladró founds a subsidiary in Tokyo with the Japanese Mitsui Group .
- 1988: The Lladró Museum opens in New York on September 18 .
- 1993: The company is awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize in recognition of its international expansion .
- 2001: A dedicated loyalty program is launched under the name "Lladró Privilege".
Manufacturing and marketing
The material properties are a strict company secret. In contrast, the manufacturing process is publicly available, be it from our own publications or on the occasion of a visit to the "Porcelain City". The figures are created from a specially developed porcelain paste that gives them their unique character. The composition of the gloss coating is also secret.
The Lladró figurines are sold under their original Spanish name. In addition, they are given an English name, which often does not correspond to an exact translation, but is intended to be appealing to an international audience. It is also misleading that a figure can have different names over the years.