R E Dietz Company Ltd – established in Hong Kong 1956 – manufacturer of hurricane lanterns

James Chan: R.E. Dietz Company Limited was founded by Mr. Robert Edwin Dietz in New York, USA in 1840 and began manufacturing kerosene lanterns, which are commonly known as hurricane lanterns…

…In order to reduce production cost and increase market share, Dietz relocated its
production facilities from New York, U.S.A. to Hong Kong in 1956 and subsequently from Hong Kong to China in 1988. It maintained its head office in Hong Kong for administration, financing, logistics, marketing and sales. Dietz’s policy to provide good and reliable lanterns at reasonable and affordable prices has earned good reputation and established good brand recognition and image in the lantern industry. This policy has always been kept although it had been moved from U.S.A. to Hong Kong and subsequently to China.(1)

1956 Gerry J. Dietz establishes R.E. Dietz Co., Ltd in Hong Kong to redevelop a large world lantern market. Original tools and dies are relocated from Syracuse, including tooling for the Junior and Cresent, and the Pre-Streamlined versions of the Blizzard, D-Lite, Monarch, and Little Wizard models.

1971 The tooling for the Comet and the No. 8 Air Pilot are shipped to Hong Kong to continue production.

1973 Annual Dietz Lantern production in Hong Kong in tens of millions

1977 Annual lantern production in Hong Kong at 1.5 million and are shipped to 75 countries

1982 The R.E. Dietz Co., Ltd  factory in Hong Kong is relocated to mainland China (2)

Undated Dietz advert Courtesy: Onondaga Historical Association

This article was first posted on the 17th July 2017.

Source:

1. http://www.redietz.com/en/Profile.asp

See:

1. http://www.lanternnet.com/ – Welcome to the Most Complete Source for Dietz Hurricane Kerosene Lanterns, Oil Lamps and Tubular Lantern Parts in the World!