By , William had joined the board of directors. The stylus scraped the aluminum from the glass and produced a thin black line on the screen, which could be erased by turning the toy over and shaking the powder back into place. With televised advertising and seals of approval from both Good Housekeeping and Parents magazines, the Etch A Sketch became a mainstay in the toy industry. The s also brought stability to the Ohio Art Company, because they countered their seasonal toy sales with the incorporation of Strydel, Inc.
Beginning in , Strydel used Ohio Art Company's injection molding, lithography, and metal stamping operations to produce metal and plastic industrial components, such as metal signs and trays for Coca-Cola. William bought the Winzeler family's controlling interest in the Ohio Art Company in , after which he became board chairman and Bill became president and chief executive officer.
They were joined by another of William's sons, Martin Larry Killgallon. At this point the company continued to license popular Disney characters as well as the animated figures of the Smurfs and Pac-Man. They also introduced the Lil' Sport line of kid-sized basketball, baseball, and soccer toys. Henry S. Winzeler, a dentist in Archbold, Ohio, who sold his practice because he was convinced novelty manufacturing held great promise for him.
Renting part of a band hall and employing 15 women, the company was soon shipping picture frames to all parts of the country, as well as Canada and Mexico. Business grew rapidly and Dr. Winzeler needed a larger plant.
Ohio Art diversified cautiously at first, lithographing wood-grain finishes on its traditional metal frames. This product line grew to include advertising signage and scale faces. Ohio Art also expanded through acquisition during this period. The purchase of Chicago's Holabird Manufacturing Company broadened the product line to include glass-framed calendars featuring popular Ohio Art prints.
The onset of World War I in interrupted toy imports from Germany and afforded domestic toymakers the opportunity to fill the void. In Ohio Art acquired both the C. During this period, Ohio Art began making the lithographed metal windmills, sand pails, toy cars, wagons, circus trains, spinning tops, and drum sets that would be mainstays throughout the 20th century. The company honed its lithography skills with the production of metal tea sets that featured detailed depictions of nursery rhymes, alphabets, animals, and children's stories.
In H. Winzeler retired from Ohio Art to concentrate on his West Coast businesses. Although Winzeler continued to own the company, Lachlan M. About 20 percent of the company's equity was sold to the public at that time, but the Winzelers retained a controlling stake.
Fifteen-year-old son Howard W. Ohio Art maintained its fiscal strength throughout the Great Depression and was even able to acquire several other companies hobbled by the crisis. In alone the company bought out four firms: Mutual Novelty Manufacturing Company in Chicago, a producer of artificial icicles for decorating Christmas trees; Veelo Manufacturing Company, maker of dolls and stuffed animals; Delta Products, a manufacturer of electric appliances and car parts; and Household Appliance Manufacturing Company, a maker of clothes dryers.
Craftsman Studios, a manufacturer of brass and copper tableware, was acquired in Two printing companies, Kenyon Company, Inc. When H. Winzeler died in Howie was appointed to fill the vacant seat on the board of directors. By the late s, Walmart had become a retail powerhouse and was demanding low prices from its suppliers. To accommodate the large customer, Ohio Art moved manufacturing to Asia.
The diversified product line included metal trays and other products bearing logos licensed from Budweiser, Coca-Cola and other companies; Kodak and Fuji film cartridges; popcorn tins; and jar lids and cans for food companies. Killgallon III, the president.
By that time, the challenges of the toy business had multiplied. Big-box retailers dictated pricing and packaging. We traveled all the time for toys, and it was really a major part of our identity.
0コメント