Wow, it’s 2010 already and here we are celebrating 200 years of continuous production of ceramic products in Stoke on Trent!

Wade Ceramics Ltd, through the acquisition of Henry Hallen Limited, started producing “pots” in 1810 and through the first 100 years made various products but never ventured into the mass market of tableware like Doulton, Spode or Wedgwood. It was very much a “down market” producer of products for industry including spinning and weaving components.

The second 100 years could be said to be the era of Sir George Wade M.P. (1891 – 1986). He changed Wade into a modern producer of industrial, electrical and decorative ceramics and of course he was the inventor of the Wade Whimsey.  This is a small, solid, pressed animal, cheap to make and is likely to be the first ceramic collectable children buy themselves.

After his death, the Wade family ran the business until Beauford Plc purchased the company from them in 1989. In 1999, Paul Farmer and I, and others at that time, purchased Allied Insulators Ltd, Wade USA and Wade Ceramics from Beauford plc.
Our next 100 years is set fair following an investment of over £7.5m in a new factory in Stoke on Trent filled with specially designed state of the art robotic machinery to make ceramic containers for the spirits industry.

Although Paul and I will not be around in 2110, I hope that Wade will still be manufacturing here in Stoke. The new foundations of the latest production equipment should provide a strong base to reach that target and for Wade to celebrate 300 years as a ceramic manufacturer.

I hope you find our new web site interesting and if there is anything we can help you with just contact us and we’ll get back to you at the speed of an email.

Edward Duke
Chairman