Established by in Lorraine Francois Boch, the Boch company was the at the forefront of modernisation and industrialisation of the tableware industry at the turn of the 19th century. In 1797 Nicolas Villeroy becomes its sole owner of a ceramics factory in Lorraine. He experiments with different materials and processes which allow the manufacturing process of tableware to become cheaper. Both factories are located quite close to one another and begin to compete against each other on the European Markets. In 1839, in order to exist and be competitive in the European market, the companies conclude a merger agreement, combining the strengths of both companies. Now a global company, Villeroy and Boch stand for creative talent, entrepreneurial spirit and innovative power.