* History: In 1877, Joseph Lodge and his wife, Anna, made their home in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. In 1896, Lodge started the Blacklock Foundry, which manufactured a wide range of cast iron products, including cast iron cookware. In May 1910, a fire destroyed the foundry. Three months after the fire, the company was reborn down the road as the company known today as Lodge Cast Iron. After weathering the Great Depression, Lodge responded to growing business demand, and began converting its foundry from a hand-pour automation operation to an automated molding process. In 1973, the simple black skillet frying a single egg logo became an iconic symbol of American-made cast iron cookware. Toward the end of 2017, Lodge began operations in a newly built, 127,000 square foot foundry, nicknamed Third Street Foundry, which increased Lodge's manufacturing capacity by 75%.

* Products: Lodge Cast Iron manufactures heirloom-quality cookware and accessories, and operates two foundries in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. To survive the Great Depression, Lodge manufactured novelty items, such as cast iron garden gnomes and animals, to keep workers employed. In 2002, Lodge debuted seasoned cast iron, an industry first that has since become the industry standard. As Lodge continued to develop the core line of seasoned cast iron, it introduced complementary lines of cookware, such as a colorful line of porcelain enameled cast iron in 2005.

Amy Horne Advertising Operations Manager o: 423-757-6289 c: 423-618-3629 ahorne@timesfreepress.com

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