Oneida Flatware - An Historical View

Oneida Flatware is recognized as one of the largest flatware producers in the world. They provide numerous different products for table top use to areas in all parts of the world. Sterling silver, glass, china and crystal are what they are most popularly known for. The company began in New York in 1848 as a community of individuals with beliefs based on Perfectionism views.

The community that was established shared all of their belongings, even the property they owned. They also shared in the responsibility of raising their children which allowed for much more time to work on producing items for them to sale. These items included things like knives, spoons, forks, chains and animal traps.

By making and selling all of these items the group gained a lot of popularity and a good reputation for providing quality items. This allowed the group to remain in their communal setting for much longer than other similar groups of the era. This was because the group had more financial stability than the other groups and the lack of a need for money kept them close in what they believed in since they didn't have to focus on necessities as much.

In the 1870's a disagreement about the interpretation of the doctrine they followed succeeded in separating the group. Oneida was divided in half and from there established itself as a joint stock company ran by a few of the members that were still left. Some of the other members chose to help by working for the company outside of the community in various positions and others chose to leave completely and move on.

After this happened the company watched sales slowly decline for about 15 years or more. The 1890's depression dealt another blow that almost finished them off. The demand for their products almost disappeared as times became harder and their was less money that people could spare for such items at the time.

In 1984 Pierrepont Noyes returned to the company after spending several years as a wholesaler outside of the group. The knowledge and experience he acquired during his time as a wholesaler proved very useful for recovering the company from its struggle. There was a brief time where some of the members were not fully on board, but soon they all united under Noyes for the good of the company after they saw the positive impact that he brought to the table.

By the time he was thirty years old he was in full control of Oneida. From there he focused on marketing and brand recognition as well as increased promotion efforts for the companies products. From then on they have experienced a steady increase in growth and worked on mastering the art of their manufacturing processes for all products that they offer.

Now today they have grown to a large enough size that they are viewed as a leader in their industry. They are well known for providing flatware and other quality items to the masses. They pride themselves in taking interest in each individual that works for them. This interest in everyone and not just profit has allowed them to continue growing and is one of the key factors in their great success as a company.