Originally named The Blacklock Foundry after Joseph Lodge’s friend and minister, the company gained success until May of 1910 when it burned down. Just three months later and a few blocks south, the company was reborn as Lodge Manufacturing Company.
Joseph Lodge created a legacy of quality that has thrived through two World Wars and the Great Depression and is still carried on by his family today. Both our CEO and Chairman are Joseph Lodge’s great-grandsons who continue to evolve our product line and improve manufacturing methods. While many worthy competitors have fallen by the wayside, Lodge’s dedication to quality, technology, and employees have helped it not only survive but flourish.
Even during the hard times of the 1930s, the Lodge family found ways to keep employees above water. Novelty items such as cast iron garden gnomes and animals were produced and sold to keep the furnaces burning and the paychecks issued.
As the economy bounced back, Lodge responded to growing demand, and in 1950 converted its foundry from a hand-pour operation to an automated molding process in order to keep up with demand. This led to safer and more efficient manufacturing that at the time was very rare.
Continuing a dedication to technology and conservation, Lodge once again updated its foundry in 1992. The replacement of coal-fired cupola furnaces with an electro-magnetic induction melting system earned a Tennessee Governor’s Award for Excellence in Hazardous Waste Reduction.
Well into our second century in business, Lodge continued to innovate. In 2002, the legendary Lodge Logic line of pre-seasoned cookware was introduced, eliminating the hassle of its unseasoned counterparts. It was an industry first that has since become an industry standard.
As Lodge continues to develop the core line of seasoned cast iron, the introduction of complementary lines of cookware has seen great success over the past 2 decades. Lodge’s diverse and colorful line of Porcelain Enameled Cast Iron has earned rave reviews from media and consumers since its inception in 2005, offering the performance of European brands at a much more affordable value.
Introduced in 2013, The Lodge Seasoned Carbon Steel line features an assortment of skillets that are American-made and seasoned right at the Lodge foundry. Appealing to both professional chefs and outdoorsmen, these brutally tough pans are the perfect tool for any culinary aspiration.
With consumer demand exceeding foundry capacity, Lodge unveiled plans for a considerable expansion of their South Pittsburg plant in 2014. The addition of new melting systems, sand systems, an additional molding line, and expanded seasoning lines has nearly doubled our capacity to make cast iron in the US.
In 2016, Lodge has broken ground on two new expansions. The first is a new distribution center for increased efficiency and shipping. The second is an entirely new foundry in addition to our current one. Both projects are within 2 miles of our headquarters in Tennessee. We are very excited to be able to grow to new heights with our feet still firmly planted at home.