STOKE-ON-TRENT, England–The Denby Pottery Company, parent of Denby USA, is partnering with an English preservation group to rehabilitate one of its Burleigh Pottery factories here.

Through a sale and lease-back agreement, Denby has sold its Middleport factory here, which produces the Burleigh brand of blue and white floral dinnerware, to The Prince’s Regeneration Trust. The Trust will renovate the 160-year-old buildings, which will ultimately save more than 40 factory jobs and maintain a strong manufacturing presence in an area with a long history of pottery-making, Denby said.

Denby acquired Burgess Dorling & Leigh, which manufactures Burleigh Pottery, in July 2010. It will lease approximately half of the factory site back to continue pottery production.

“My colleagues and I greatly welcome this investment to regenerate the historic Middleport Pottery building,” said Garry Biggs, managing director of Denby Potteries Limited. “This investment will not only ensure that its unique skills, still in use on this site, are preserved for future generations; it also enables us to continue the business turnaround since Denby bought Burleigh pottery last year.”