Arc International (tableware)
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| Founded | 1825 |
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| Headquarters | Arques, France |
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Production output
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Tableware goods |
| Owner | Peaked Hill Partners (80%) and Durand family (20%) |
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Number of employees
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10,360 (2014) |
| Website | www.arc-intl.com |
Arc International is a French manufacturer and distributor of household goods. The company was established in Arques, Pas-de-Calais, where it is still headquartered, as a glass-making firm under the name Verrerie des Sept Ecluses in 1825. In 1892 the name was changed to Verrerie Cristallerie d'Arques, and after a series of acquisitions in the 1990s the group was renamed in 2000 to the current name. It is the leading manufacturer of crystal and glassware in the world. It is privately held and has been owned by members of the Durand family since 1916. Arc International currently licenses the Pyrex brand of cookware for sale in the European Union. Competitors include Lenox Group, World Kitchen and Waterford Wedgwood.
The company reported 16,500 employees and gross sales of €1.4 billion in 2006, reinvesting 3% of its turnover into research and development.
Arc International was established in 1825 in the village of Arques in northern France by Alexander des Lyons de Noircarm, who began production by manufacturing glass storage containers known as "dame-jeanne" (demijohns in English), which were popular at that time. In subsequent years, the company diversified into consumer cooking and dining glassware. By the 1960s, the company had mastered the process of manufacturing stemware and other finer glassware products. One of Arc's signature products is the thick-walled ten-sided "working glasses" that were a workhorse in French kitchens after their introduction in 1978.
From 1897 onwards, the company was dominated by the Durand family, who eventually purchased the firm entirely in 1926. To this day, the family continues to be the sole proprietors. The firm adopted a number of practices that positioned it to become one of Europe's leading mass production glassmakers. Examples include the usage of tank furnaces (1933), the construction of modern glass presses (1947), the use of automatic blowing machines (1950), the usage of industrial tempering (1963) and the automation of lead crystal production (1968).
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