Celebrating 75 Years- Making Memories in the Kitchen since 1946!
Minnesota Made and Family Owned
The year was 1945. Dotty Dalquist anxiously awaited the return of her husband Dave from WWII and active duty in the South Pacific. When Dave’s naval ship safely reached California, the pair was grateful and thrilled. Reunited at last, they excitedly began making future plans. Dave shared his dream of building a manufacturing company that would provide quality products for American kitchens. His background was metallurgy and engineering, and this provided him with a special fondness for aluminum, a rust-proof metal that was strong but malleable, and an excellent conductor of heat. He also knew aluminum was 100% recyclable and thus cost-effective for manufacturing.
Dave was not a cook but fortunately Dotty was a whiz in the kitchen. Together the two ventured by train from California, Dotty’s home, to Dave’s home state of Minnesota to begin work on their dream. They founded Nordic Ware in 1946 and began by making products that represented their shared Scandinavian heritage. Dotty’s parents were first generation immigrants from Denmark and Dave’s grandparents had settled in the Midwest after traveling to the US from Norway and Sweden. Both families appreciated delicious foods and enjoyed hosting festive gatherings of families and friends. This proved to be a good foundation for a company specializing in kitchenware products. Dotty provided creative inspiration for wonderful products and delectable recipes, and Dave, with the help of talented employees and supportive family members, manufactured heirloom quality aluminum cookware and bakeware. Persistence, creativity, and years of effort eventually led to success—and the rest is history! Today the company produces an inspiring range of products for home and professional kitchens alike, that cater to cuisines from around the world.
Though the love of her life passed away in 2005, Dotty and Dave will forever be the heart and soul of the Nordic Ware brand. We hope you will watch the video below that features Dotty in her home kitchen today. She’s been making memories with Nordic Ware products since 1946!
We are committed to remaining family-owned and we are grateful for our customers and hundreds of talented, dedicated employees who’ve made us what we are today. As we celebrate our 75th year in business, we want to pay tribute to Dave and Dotty’s courageous entrepreneurship and to the decades of effort that followed to bring the company to its present success.
Still Family-Owned and Operated- Now 3 Generations!
Throughout the last 75 years, cooking and baking have consistently fostered creative expression, togetherness, and joy in our kitchens. We value this greatly and have loved watching our products being passed down through generations. We are humbled and happy that people are still making memories in their kitchens with our products and looking forward to what new creations are shared in the future.
Stay tuned for more exciting company announcements, new products, and events in celebration of our 75th Anniversary. Here’s to 75 years! CHEERS!
