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| Industry | other mining and quarrying  |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1878 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | , Netherlands |
| Owner | Royal Delft Group |
Royal Leerdam Crystal (also known asRoyal Leerdam) was a Dutch producer of glassware products based inLeerdam, the Netherlands.
It was established in 1878 as a department within aglassware producing factory,Glasfabriek Leerdam [nl], itself founded in 1765. From 1938 until 2002 it was part of theSchiedam-based Vereenigde Glasfabrieken. In 2002, the factory became part of theAmerican glass and tableware companyLibbey Inc. In 2008, Royal Leerdam was purchased byDe Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, becoming part of the Royal Delft Group.[1] In September 2020, as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, the glass-making facilities were shut.[2] In 2022, Libbey Glass sold the company to the Dutch Anders Invest Industrie Fonds.[3] There are about 600 employees in the Netherlands and Portugal with annual sales of about €120 million.[4] In the Netherlands, the headquarters and a glass factory are in Leerdam and there is a distribution center in Gorinchem. The total acquisition price was not disclosed. The management of the company will stay on and cooperation with Libbey will be continued.[3]
Designing andglassblowing were in the past strictly separated. Several well-known designers asHendrik Petrus Berlage,Karel de Bazel,Andries Copier,Sybren Valkema, andWillem Heesen have contributed to the Royal Leerdam reputation with a wide range of designer glassware. Best known has become the so-called range of productsGilde Glass (1930) by Andries Copier, as an example of both simplicity and beauty.Glass art created by Royal Leerdam Crystal was and still is very sought after by museums and collectors worldwide.