MILAN — There’s a wave of consolidation afoot in Limoges, a French city where fine porcelain or “white gold” has been made since the 18th century. Kaolin, one of its key ingredients, was discovered in nearby Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche in 1760.

Demand for French porcelain tableware during the centuries that followed fueled the emergence of family-run firms and artisan workshops that shaped and hand-painted exquisite table settings for the growing upper classes. But since the turn of the millennium, companies have struggled amid globalization. One of the oldest firms in the region is JL Coquet. Based in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, it was founded in 1824. It just joined a growing number of firms joining forces with bigger companies to compete on a global scale.

International Firms Eye Storied Bra

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