Reviving West Bend Co. name reflects Wisconsin roots
The company which makes Regal Ware cookware is reviving the name of its manufacturing operation –reflecting its Wisconsin roots.
Regal Holdings is the new name of the Milwaukee-based company previously known as Regal Ware. Its manufacturing operation will now be known as West Bend Co., previously known as SynergyOps.
West Bend Co., which operates a manufacturing facility in West Bend, also serves as a contract manufacturer for other cookware companies.
Reviving the West Bend Co. name reinforces the company’s “commitment to U.S. manufacturing,operational excellence, and the teams behind products made in Wisconsin,” according to a Feb. 2 announcement.
“West Bend Company is a name built on craftsmanship and responsibility,” said Regal Holdings President Dave Lenz, in a statement.
Meanwhile, the name change from Regal Ware to Regal Holdings reflects the company’s updated structure, said Chairman and CEO Ryan Reigle.
“We are a family of companies and brands united by shared values, long-term thinking, and a commitment to quality,” Reigle said.
The name changes will roll out over the coming months.
West Bend Co. was initially known as West Bend Aluminum Co. when it was founded in 1911. Its name changed to West Bend Co. in 1961.
Regal Ware, founded by J.O. Reigle, was initially known as Kewaskum Utensil Co. before changing its name in 1951.
James D. Reigle, who served as president of the family-owned company from 1965 until 1992, died in June at the age of 99. He was the son of J.O. Reigle and grandfather of Ryan Reigle.
Regal Ware was based for several decades in Kewaskum before the company headquarters moved in 2024 to Milwaukee’s Park Place business park.
It bought West Bend Co. in 2002 and the following year moved its manufacturing operations to that community – where the West Bend/Regal Ware Museum once operated.
Regal Holdings has 40 employees at its Milwaukee headquarters, with 215 employees in West Bend.
Regal Holdings’ operating groups include the Regal Manufacturing Group (including West Bend Co.), the Regal Wholesale Direct Group (including Saladmaster and Lifetime), the Regal Retail Group (including IKB), and the Regal Community Investments Group which includes Regal Place, the Regal & West Bend Cookware Factory Outlet Store, the Reigle Family Foundation, and Regal Archives.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Bluesky, X and Facebook.
