About Us
History
Remember the Superman lunchbox you had as a kid? Well, that was likely an Aladdin product. So how did we go from character lunch boxes to sleek mugs and recycled (and recyclable!) water bottles? Read on to find out.
Early Years
It all started in 1908 when Victor Samuel Johnson Sr., a soap salesman in Chicago, started selling kerosene mantle lamps. In 1912, his company, the Mantle Lamp Company of America, began making mantle lamps that gave off a steady white light without smoke. He called these lamps “Aladdin lamps,” after the magical lamp and wish-granting genie in the popular children’s story, and our name was born.
In 1917, Johnson decided to diversify (as all good businessmen do!) and began producing insulated cooking dishes. These Aladdin Thermalware jars were the company’s first venture into heat and cold retaining dishes and early cousins of today’s products. In 1919, Johnson moved these jars into a new subsidiary called Aladdin Industries. This subsidiary offered Thermalware jars and vacuum ware and successfully sold and manufactured these products from 1919-1943.
In 1943, Victor S. Johnson Sr. died and his son Victor S Johnson Jr. took over as president of Aladdin Industries, Inc. In 1949, in an effort to centralize operations, Johnson Jr. moved Aladdin’s offices and manufacturing facilities to Nashville, Tennessee.
Lunch
In the ‘40s, under Johnson Jr.’s management, Aladdin began producing metal lunch boxes. In the early ‘50s, the company executives made a smart move to license popular character images and use them on their products. The Hopalong Cassidy lunch box was the first licensed product out of the gate, and, within a year, sales skyrocketed from 50,000 to 600,000 units. Aladdin had struck a chord with consumers nationwide, and lunch would never be the same.
In 1965, Aladdin Industries again expanded business through the acquisition of the Stanley steel bottle operation. This move solidified the company’s position in the food and beverage container category by deepening its line of steel offerings.
The ‘80s and Beyond
During the ‘80s and ‘90s, Aladdin continued to experience growth. In fact, its Nashville, Tenn. operation grew to 1100 employees! Foam-insulated mugs were becoming increasingly popular, and Aladdin’s products were sold in grocery chains and drugstores nationwide. Unfortunately, during this time, Aladdin also suffered from mis-management and high operation costs, which forced the company to close its Nashville plant in 2002.
Recognizing the value of the iconic Aladdin brand and determined to bring new life to it, Seattle-based Pacific Market International (PMI) purchased Aladdin in 2002. Since then, the brand has seen significant growth and has once again become a leader in innovation. Today, the brand not only provides women with stylish, functional food and beverage products, but it’s also pioneering the use of new materials and technologies to revolutionize how we eat, drink and think!