Metal Ware Corporation
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| Industry |
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| Predecessor | Two River Plating and Manufacturing Company |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Headquarters | Two Rivers, Wisconsin |
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Key people
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| Products | Variety of Consumer goods |
Metal Ware Corporation is a company located in Two Rivers, Wisconsin and manufactures small kitchen appliances primarily marketing them under the NESCO and American Harvest brand names.
Metal Ware Corporation was co-founded by Joseph Koenig, who also founded the Mirro Aluminum Company and William H Ellis II. Metal Ware filed for incorporation on August 18, 1920. The company was a successor to Two Rivers Plating which was founded by Henry Mixa in 1902. In October, 1920, property was purchased from Two River Plating and Manufacturing Company. The company's primary products were copper and nickel-plated utensils.
The 1920s saw growth in the company with employment reaching 100 by 1927. A popular product of the company was a full feature miniature stove measuring 21 inches wide, 17 inches high and only 10 inches deep. It was particularly popular with apartment dwellers. Metal Ware announced an agreement with Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. to sell these compact stoves. They also announced a contract with General Electric to handle their stoves for export trade.
In addition to several different sizes of electric ranges, they were also producing electric percolators and educational toys including an electric power 'steam' engine. In the first seven years of existence, the company grew enough that they were advertising that they were the 'Worlds Biggest Electrical Toy Factory".
In 1928, Metal Ware introduced a new style of sandwich toaster with an expandable hinge and was designed to toast both sides of an assembled sandwich at the same time as well as making French toast and grilling bacon.
In December, 1931, Elmer Drumm, who had worked at the Mirro Aluminum Company, along with his brother Charles Drumm, Elmer Bleser, and Victor C. Trastek purchased Metal Ware. At the time of the purchase, the company was renamed The Metal Ware Corporation.
In 1936 the Empire line of toy trains was spun off into a separate business named Empire Products Company. The Metal Ware Corporation continued to manufacture the toys for the new company. At this time, it was also announced that they obtained a franchise for making Disney character toys from the Silly Symphonies animated short films.
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