Fiesta Tableware Company facts for kids

The Fiesta Tableware Company makes beautiful dishes and plates. It used to be called The Homer Laughlin China Company. This company is located in Newell, West Virginia, in the United States.

It started way back in 1871. The company is famous for its colorful dishes called Fiesta. These dishes have a special shiny finish called a glaze. In 2002, a big newspaper, The New York Times, said that Fiesta was the most popular brand of dishes collected in the U.S.

In March 2020, the Homer Laughlin China Company changed. It sold its parts that made dishes for restaurants and hotels. It also sold the "Homer Laughlin" name to another company called Steelite International. But the company kept its retail division. This means they still make and sell dishes like the popular Fiesta line to regular people. They also kept their factory in Newell, West Virginia. After this, the company changed its name to the Fiesta Tableware Company.

History of Fiesta Tableware

The visitor's entrance at the company's factory in Newell, West Virginia.

The Fiesta Tableware Company began as Laughlin Pottery. It started in 1871 with two small ovens for making pottery. Brothers Shakespeare and Homer Laughlin started it near the Ohio River in East Liverpool, Ohio. Shakespeare left the company in 1879.

Later, in 1889, William Edwin Wells joined Homer Laughlin. Seven years later, they officially formed a company. Homer Laughlin then sold his share to Wells. The company won an award in 1876 for making the best white dishes.

The company grew very quickly. In 1903, they opened a much bigger factory in Newell, West Virginia. This is where their main factory and offices are today. By the late 1920s, all their dishes were made at the West Virginia factory. The old Ohio factory was no longer used.

In 1920, the company hired Albert V. Bleininger. He was a scientist who helped change their old ovens to more efficient ones. In 1927, they hired Frederick Hurten Rhead, a ceramist from England. He focused on making new designs for the company's products. He tried out different shapes and glazes. In 1935, his work led to the creation of the famous Fiesta line.

The company made the most dishes in 1948. They produced over 10 million items that year!

In 2010, the company bought another pottery company called The Hall China Company. This meant they owned two potteries in the area. As of 2015, the company still made all its products in the United States. You can visit their factory in West Virginia. They have a visitor center, a museum, and a store there.

As mentioned, in March 2020, the Wells family, who owned the company, sold part of it. They sold the part that made dishes for food service (like restaurants). They also sold the "Homer Laughlin" name. This was because the food service part was not making money. It was hard to compete with cheaper dishes from other countries. The company wanted to focus on its popular Fiesta brand. So, they kept the Fiesta line and changed their name to The Fiesta Tableware Company.

Popular Dish Lines

The sales floor at the company's factory outlet store.

In the 1920s, the company said it was the biggest pottery company in the world. They have made many different patterns of dishes over the years. Some people think they have made between 25,000 and 35,000 different designs!

Fiesta Dinnerware

Homer Laughlin started making the very popular and colorful Fiesta dishes in 1936. Fiesta dishes were made until the late 1960s. New colors were added over time. Then, in 1973, they stopped making the line completely.

But good news! Fiesta was brought back in 1986 and is still made today. The new Fiesta dishes use some of the original shapes. However, the clay they use now is harder. This meant they had to change some of the molds a little bit. So, the new dishes might look slightly different from the old ones. Also, the new clay shrinks more when it's fired. This means new dishes are a tiny bit smaller than the old ones.

The company also created many new shapes for modern use. Just like the original line, the new Fiesta dishes come in many different colors that change over time.

Other Retail Dishes

Former Homer Laughlin China logo

Besides Fiesta, the company made two other colorful dish lines in the 1930s. These also had bright, solid colors.

• Harlequin: This line started in 1938. It was a cheaper option than Fiesta. It was made only for Woolworth's stores. Harlequin was made until 1964. It was briefly brought back in 1979 for Woolworth's 100th anniversary.
• Riviera: This line started in 1938 too. It is special because its square dishes have three scallops (curvy edges) on the corners. Riviera came in colors like red, yellow, light green, and blue. Production of Riviera ended around 1948–49.

Another line called Epicure was introduced in 1955. It had popular colors and shapes from the 1950s. It was designed by a student of Russel Wright. Epicure dishes are rare and collected today. But when they first came out, they weren't very popular. They were stopped just one year after they started.

The company also made the Golden Wheat Line between 1949 and 1966. These dishes were given away in Duz Detergent boxes. This was a way to get people to buy the detergent. These dishes have a picture of wheat in the middle. They also have a trim on the edge made of 22k gold.

Partnership Dishes

The Homer Laughlin China Company also worked with other companies to make dishes.

• Modern Star: This was a short set of dishes made with the Taylor, Smith and Taylor Pottery Company and Quaker Oats Company. Modern Star isn't a shape. It's a set of dishes with a cool "atomic style" starburst pattern. Quaker Oats offered these dishes to customers. People could collect box tops from Quaker Oats products. Then they could send them in to buy the dishes at a lower price. Customers could buy small sets or a full set for up to 6 people. Modern Star was one of the last dish lines Homer Laughlin made with Taylor, Smith & Taylor. It was stopped in 1958 and is now highly collectible.

Government Dishes

The Fiesta Tableware Company also has contracts with the U.S. government. They supply dishes for many different uses. This includes fancy dinners and dishes for U.S. troops in army camps. Some of these designs are made only for the U.S. government.