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The Ridgeway Grandfather Clock Tradition
The Ridgeway grandfather clock story is one many decades in the making. The start of this clock making business dates back to 1920’s America when the annual salary was $1,236 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 100. World War I had been over for several years and America was working to hit their stride once more. The company that started making these renowned clocks was The Gravely Furniture Company. While the country saw growth in wages and life expectancy over the next four decades The Gravely Furniture Company put men and women to work defining a quality that became the Hallmark of the Ridgeway grandfather clock. It was during the 1960’s that The Gravely Furniture Company focused exclusively on their Ridgeway clocks. By the 1980’s the U.S. population had doubled since the company opened it’s doors. While numerous fads were popular with teens during this era their parents were waxing nostalgic. The contemporary art that had been popular from the 1960’s on were becoming passé for many. The well-defined art of yesteryear made The Gravely Furniture Company a prime purchasing opportunity.
Pulaski was able to offer the Ridgeway clocks with curios and other furnishings that would match and enhance the visual experience of owning one of America’s premier grandfather clocks. Nineteen years would pass before Ridgeway would change hands once more. Dwindling sales in the 1990’s and early 2000’s saw Pulaski focusing on home furnishings that were consumer driven. Sadly, the Ridgeway clock was not a prime seller during that time and new management at Pulaski worked to find a buyer for Ridgeway. That buyer was Howard Miller Clock Company headquartered in Michigan. This company had a similar history and a love for the tradition of Ridgeway and the clocks they produced. Like Gravely they began their journey in clock making in the 1920’s and had continued that tradition throughout. Unlike Gravely Howard Miller designed and sold a variety of clocks that bore little resemblance to grandfather clocks. However, by the 1960’s they did focus strongly on these more traditional floor clocks. Howard Miller would also purchased German based Kieninger Clocks at about the same time. With a plant location near the Black Forest of Germany Kieninger began to provide exceptional clock movements for the Ridgeway brand. With commitment to the tradition of Ridgeway and the connection with German craftsmanship Howard Miller allowed Ridgeway to flourish under its own name and with solid American tradition. Ridgeway floor clocks continue to provide Old World charm while continuing its steady advance to its 100-year birthday. Our world has changed dramatically since Gravely Furniture made the first Ridgeway grandfather clock, but the timeless attention to details has not been lost on this new generation of clocks. These truly American timepieces provide features no other maker offers including a clock that never needs winding while retaining the same look of only the best grandfather clocks. Ridgeway grandfather clocks can also be purchased with patriotic chimes of interest to American buyers. Ridgeway continues to be an American owned company and uses American facilities to manufacture their clocks.
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