Over 90 years ago John W. Hammes, an architect in Racine, WI, invented the first food waste disposal unit. From there sparked decades of innovation and a company that believed in the importance of keeping jobs in the United States.
InSinkErator manufactured food waste disposers for hospital ships during WWII. After the war, more than a dozen competitors burst on the scene, but InSinkErator remained the industry leader. During the 1950s, the company expanded its product line and entered the commercial foodservice market.
St. Louis-based Emerson Electric Co. bought InSinkErator in the late 1960s, but their headquarters and manufacturing plant remained in Racine, where they still are today in a new state-of-the-art, LEED designed headquarters and innovation centre in Racine.
