Manfuacturers' History

Wagner History

On July 21, 1891, Milton and Bernard Wagner organized a partnership, and formed the Wagner Manufacturing Company in Sidney, Ohio.They started with cast iron hollow ware and added nickel-plated ware in 1892.

Wagner purchased the Sidney Hollow Ware Foundry around 1897. They realized the Sidney Hollow Ware line was hurting the Wagner Hollow Ware Sales around 1903 and sold the company back to Philip Smith.

Wagner also made brass castings that included manufacture of the cash register and calculator they held patents for. Commercial small manufacture of these never happened because they sold the patents to the Osgood Cash Register Company of Detroit, Michigan.

Wagner added aluminum utensils, and made improvements in "aluminum cookware," and sent to market a line of seamless cast aluminum ware that was of a heavier weight. This aluminum ware was so successful that they went on to produce a large line of aluminum ware, including ramequins, scoops, molds, utensils and coffee and teapots. Wagner Ware captured many prizes for their fine aluminum ware.

The Randall Company of Cincinnati, Ohio acquired Wagner Manufacturing Company in 1953.

In October of 1957, the Wagner Division of Randall Company purchased the Griswold Cookware Line from McGraw Edison.

In 1959, Textron Inc acquired the Randall Company.

In September of 1969, General Housewares Corp. bought Textron Inc., which included all Wagner and Griswold lines.

In the spring of 1997, The Wagner Corporation (a group of investors) bought from General Housewares Corp. the Wagner factory.

In 1999, the Wagner Corporation closed for a break and never reopened its doors.

The Wagner Plant reopened its doors last half of 2003. They are starting to produce iron cooking items.