Matthew and Marvin Griswold first manufactured articles of light hardware but are credited with making the firm a leader in the manufacture of cast iron cookware. Roger Griswold foresaw electricity as an ideal heat source and developed the first complete electric commercial cookware line in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

1881
Wagner Hollow Ware Company

Bernard and Milton Wagner first manufactured metal castings of light hardware for general stores and tin hollowware for government contract work. They are credited as the original and first to cast iron for cookware and holloware in Sidney, Ohio, USA and WagnerWare was born.

1891
Wagner Manufacturing Company

William and Louis Wagner joined the partnership and they built the first and most modern cookware manufacturing facility of the time. The Wagner brothers were pioneers and the first in America to cast aluminum and iron cookware. As sole manufacturers of WagnerWare, they won top honors at the Chicago, Nashville, Paris, Buffalo and St. Louis Exposition and further acknowledged at the Panama-Pacific International Expo. in San Francisco, California as the finest aluminum ware in the World.

1934
Magnalite: a proprietary metal alloy

Wagner created a chemistry of blended metal and named it Magnalite. They retain, John Gordon Rideout who along with Frank Lloyd Wright, were original Fellows of the Society of Design Engineers, and proponents of the design philosophy "form follows function"?. This unique vessel design and mission style handle gave birth to this respected American Classic.

1957
Griswold Acquisition

The public demand for "magnalite" metal allowed Wagner to finally purchase longtime competitor Griswold Manufacturing and transferred the tooling, patterns, patents, proprietary and trademark rights to Sidney, Ohio from Erie, Pennsylvania

1979
Magnalite Professional

After years of commercial and retail sales, Jack Mueller retains International Chef and noted travel expert, Burt Wolf to design the first hard anodized cast cookware line and the third evolution of Wagner’s proprietary metal called Magnalite is born. Chefs nickname the new cookware MagPro.

1996
WagnerWare Corporation

WagnerWare purchases the manufacturing facilities, tooling, goodwill and all intellectual properties of Wagner and Griswold. They retain former employee, Peter A. Pike who becomes the driving force to return to innovation, design and the quality standards established by Griswold and Wagner over 131 years ago.

1997
Gold and Best of Show Culinary Awards

The Standard of Excellence returns, re-engineered by visionary Pike, WagnerWare Corporation receives 3 Awards of the Americas Gold Medals and Best of Show Honors for WagnerWare cast iron and Magnalite by Wagner

1998
Gold and Best of Show Culinary Awards

The Standard of Excellence continues, 3 more Awards of the Americas Gold Medals and Best of Show Honors for WagnerWare cast iron and Magnalite by Wagner.

1999
Gold and Best of Show Culinary Awards

Pike along with well known designer John Kight, who revolutionized the cookware industry consulted with world renown Maitre Chef and noted author Anton Edelmann, from the Savoy, London, England and designed the first stay cool, ergonomic, "Artic Wedge" handle. They received rave reviews from Europe and yet another Awards of the Americas, Gold Medal and Best of Show honor.

2000
American Culinary Corporation

American Culinary Corporation led by Pike, purchases the manufacturing facilities, tooling, patterns, proprietary formulas, goodwill and intellectual properties of Wagner, Griswold and WagnerWare. Third and fourth generation employees begin the lengthy repair and modernization of the facilities.

2003
The Legacy Lives

American Culinary boasts the authentic and original proprietary Magnalite metal,new aero-thermal designed tooling and inventory of over 125 permanent molds and over 750 original pattern designs from Griswold and Wagner spanning the last 138 years. Committed to American manufacturing and our legendary crafters, we proudly embrace our place in American history. As we look to the future we draw from our past.

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