Ferro Corporation Rings in a Century of Business
The 100-year-old company has come a long way since it first started in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ferro Corporation, a manufacturer of a variety of products and technologies that specializes in enamel, has been in business for 100 years. To celebrate a century of achievements, Ferro held internal celebrations at each of the Ferro sites on October 11, 2019.
Taking it back to when it all began, the corporation began as Ferro Enameling Company in October 1919 in Cleveland, Ohio by chemist Harry D. Cushman, with a focus on manufacturing and applying porcelain enamel finish to customers’ products. Around the same time, the Ferro Enamel & Supply Co. was formed by Bob Weaver to sell frits and service products manufactured by Cushman’s organization. These two companies merged in 1930 to create Ferro Enamel Corporation. In 1951, it changed its name to the Ferro Corporation to better reflect the company.
In addition to the name alterations, each decade brought new changes and challenges for Ferro. According to the company, some of its notable accomplishments include the creation of the world’s largest porcelain enamel-on-steel mural, which was displayed at the World’s Fair in New York City in 1939, and the invention of camouflage colors for the U.S. Army in 1951.
The company explains on its website that innovation is the common thread through Ferro’s evolution into the functional coatings and color solutions company that it is today.
Through the years, Ferro grew into a variety of markets, such as CerMark laser technology (acquired in 2001), glass and ceramic decoration, LED lighting, organic coatings for plastics, and more.
Today, the company operates out of North America, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
For more on the history, visit www.ferro.com/about/ferro100years.
