A History of Heritage Steel
Family-owned, three generations deep, and still building cookware in Clarksville, Tennessee. Where we came from and what we believe.
Heritage Steel is a family-owned cookware manufacturer in Clarksville, Tennessee. Our cookware is the culmination of more than 40 years of experience crafting specialty multiclad stainless steel cookware in the USA, made with only the highest quality materials and superior craftsmanship.
Our mission is simple: equip home cooks with quality tools that help them fall in love with cooking — while paying American workers good wages to build them.
Our founder
Donald Henn first started selling cookware over 50 years ago, right out of college. He has sold quality stainless clad cookware to families around the country for decades.
In 1983, he purchased a cookware factory in Clarksville, TN — and from that, New Era, Inc. was born.
A quick history
The traveling salesman
Donald Henn was a top independent distributor for the Vollrath Company out of Wisconsin, selling directly to families looking for high quality cookware.
New Era Cookware
He then acquired the consumer division of Vollrath Cookware and their factory in Clarksville, TN, forming New Era Cookware.
A history of innovation
Always pursuing the latest technologies, New Era was among the first to introduce induction cookware, and was a pioneer in multiclad cookware.
Hammer Stahl cutlery
Hammer Stahl cutlery is introduced and is sold primarily through live events such as food festivals.
Hammer Stahl cookware
Now known as our Titanium Series, this new introduction was our most advanced version of cookware, including an innovative handle design and state-of-the-art stainless steel.
This cookware begins to be sold online and to local, independent retailers around the country.
Titanium strengthened steel
Our Titanium Series is fully realized by converting to a 316Ti interior steel, making its cooking surface the most durable and non-reactive on the market.
Heritage Steel
New Era and Hammer Stahl consolidate under the Heritage Steel brand, celebrating the company's heritage of quality goods manufactured in the USA.
Eater × Heritage Steel
In partnering with Eater, we introduce a new line of professional quality cookware designed to be smart, approachable, and affordable.
What we believe in
The product. Because we make our own cookware, we control every step of how it's built — which means consistent quality and the freedom to keep refining it.
The people. The backbone of our factory is a long-tenured workforce of skilled colleagues and neighbors.
Three generations. We're still family-owned, and still working the same mission we started with:
Make a great product, sell it at a fair price, and pay good wages to the American workers who build it.
