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1898 |
Southbend was started as Malleable Steel Range Manufacturing Co. by Harry Engman, William Kizer, Lew Matthews, and Jacob Woolverton at South Bend, Indiana. About ten years later, the company was taken over by the Woolverton family, to make a line of domestic coal and wood burning stoves. |
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1927 1941 |
A line of commercial ranges and griddles was added to the product line. With the introduction of commercial ranges to the food service field, the firm decided to discontinue domestic ranges in 1941. From that time on, there has been a constant development of a heavier and better product line. |
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1977 |
South Bend Range saw the completion of a new
plant in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. At this time, a limited number of product
lines were transferred from South Bend to Fuquay-Varina, but by 1984 all production was
moved to the North Carolina facility. |
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1984 |
Southbend aquires Escan Metal Ltd. of Montreal, Canada. |
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1987 |
Hussman Corporation purchases Southbend/Escan and moved the corporate offices from South Bend to Fuquay-Varina. |
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1989 |
The Middleby Corporation purchases Southbend from Hussman in July, 1989. |
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1993 |
The Marathoner Gold convection oven is introduced |
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1996 |
Southbend introduces more new products than any other year, including: SilverStar Convection Oven, R-2 Steamer and the 400 Series Range |
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1997 |
Record sales and shipments, along with the introduction of more new products, including the award winning Simple Steam Countertop Steamer. |
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1999 |
New products include the Simple Combi Oven and medium duty charbroilers, griddles, fryers, and ranges. |
