Author Brian Alexander first introduced a lot of the United States to all-American, Ohio town, Lancaster, when he wrote his New York Times Best Selling book, Glass House. Sadly for the residents who live and work in the town, the story of Anchor Hocking continues. The Oneida Group, the parent group of Anchor Hocking, has announced that they will be moving their headquarters from Lancaster to Columbus.
Although the production plant will remain in Lancaster, the moving of the headquarters will still result in job losses. But Lancaster isn’t the only place losing Oneida’s Corporate offices. New York, Canada, and Arkansas will also close their Oneida locations and move them to Columbus.
The company will move into the old Columbia Gas building on Civic Center Dr, bringing its corporate jobs with it. Downtown Columbus will offer the opportunity for the company to connect and interact with clients and larger businesses. “We are unifying our culture as one company and consolidating our global operations in central Ohio,” Oneida CEO Patrick Lockwood-Taylor said in a statement to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.
“The Oneida Group maintains our focus on growing the business through innovative designs that delight our customers, offering the best food preparation and dining products and services. By offering industry-leading brands that consumers and operators prefer, we will sustainably grow our business.”
Anchor Hocking got its start in Lancaster in 1905 as The Hocking Glass company. After a merger in 1937, it officially became Anchor Hocking. The glass company has been an integral part of Lancaster city history for over 100 years, providing job security for many of Lancaster’s citizens.
“While final decisions and consolidation details are still in progress, The Oneida group and Anchor Hocking leaders have assured us that they remain dedicated to Lancaster and the employees and community here,” said Lancaster Mayor Dave Smith and city economic development director Mike Pettit in a statement to the Lancaster Eagle Gazette. “We continue to be grateful to The Oneida Group and Anchor Hocking for their partnership and support of our local economy here in Lancaster and the surrounding areas. We look forward to continuing and growing this partnership in the future.”
