Watkins Incorporated

Last updated
J. R. Watkins Medical Company Complex
J.R. Watkins Headquarters 02.jpg
The J. R. Watkins Headquarters from the southwest
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location150 Liberty Street, Winona, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°2′58″N91°37′41″W / 44.04944°N 91.62806°W / 44.04944; -91.62806
Area2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built1900–1914
Architect George W. Maher
Architectural style Prairie School (1911 Administration Building)
NRHP reference No. 84003940 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 4, 2004
JR Watkins Medical Company.jpg
Watkins Pepper - J.R. Watkins, Winona, Minnesota WatkinsPepperTinFront.jpg
Watkins Pepper – J.R. Watkins, Winona, Minnesota

Watkins Incorporated is a manufacturer of health remedies, baking products, and other household items. Founded in 1868, Watkins Incorporated is based in Winona, Minnesota, United States, which utilizes an omni-channel marketing strategy which includes a national retail sales force which focuses on selling to the retail channel as well as an independent sales force of 25,000 people to distribute its products.

Contents

History

The company was founded by J. R. Watkins in Plainview, Minnesota, who began selling liniment in 1868 door-to-door in the southeastern part of the state. A year after J.R. Watkins began selling liniment, he introduced the trial-mark bottle. [2] Molded into the glass bottle, about one-third of the way down, was a mark which showed how much of the product a customer could use and still get a refund. A label with the statement, “If not fully satisfied, your money cheerfully refunded,” also appeared on the bottle. The Watkins trial-mark is believed to be the first money-back guarantee [3] in America.

The company moved to Winona in 1885 [4] and added a number of products to its lineup. Baking materials including pepper and vanilla extract were added in 1895 along with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, peppermint extract and lemon extract. Between 1889 and 1914, Watkins constructed six manufacturing buildings behind the Winona Administration Building. J.R. Watkins died in 1911. In 1914, a prominent ten-story building completed the look of the Administration Building. Maher's Administration Building included a
70-foot high rotunda dome coated in 24-carat gold leaf, a blue Bedford stone façade, 224 stained glass skylights and three custom-made Tiffany stained glass windows.

During World War II, Watkins devoted 90% of its production capacity to support the Allied war effort. To fill government contracts, Watkins produced dried eggs, powdered juice packets, vitamin tablets, hospital germicide, DDT and insecticide powder.

In the 1940s, Watkins was the largest direct-sales company in the world but soon began to decline. The demographics and buying habits of the United States had major shifts in the following decades, and the company did not keep pace. Watkins filed for bankruptcy protection in the 1970s, and was purchased by Minneapolis investor Irwin L. Jacobs in 1978.

In 1996, Jacobs' son, Mark Evan Jacobs, began to take over day-to-day operations. He was 14 when his father bought the company, and had worked as a Watkins salesman for many years. Mark was an aspiring actor, appearing in minor roles in films such as Biloxi Blues and Goodfellas , but realized his acting career wasn't advancing. Since taking over the company, he has controlled spending and introduced an enhanced compensation plan for sales associates. He also spearheaded an extensive brand study that led to the introduction of Watkins products onto store shelves.

The seven-building Watkins headquarters in Winona is on the National Register of Historic Places as the J.R. Watkins Medical Company Complex. In 2004, the complex was cited as having national significance related to architecture, commerce, and industry. [5] It was nominated for being the long-time headquarters of the nation's largest direct sales company in the early 20th century, and for the Prairie School design of its 1911 Administration Building by architect George W. Maher. [6] The front entrance includes a window designed by stained-glass artist Louis J. Millet depicting Sugar Loaf, a local landmark.

In 2002, the story of a Watkins salesman, Bill Porter, was dramatized in the 2002 Emmy award-winning TNT movie Door to Door . Porter had a 50-year career with Watkins in Portland, Oregon, and worked a route despite having cerebral palsy. Porter was also featured in news stories.

In 2017, the Watkins Company sold its home care, personal care and over-the-counter remedies product lines to Swander Pace Capital. The newly formed sister company, J.R. Watkins Brands, focuses solely on home care, personal care and over-the-counter remedies.

In September 2018, Watkins set a Guinness World Record for greatest number of layers in a layer cake. The record-breaking confection was a 6' 1" Lady Baltimore cake with 260 layers, exceeding the previous record by 30 layers. [7] Ingredients included 900 eggs, 480 pounds of sugar, 150 pounds of flour, 102 pounds of shortening, 45 pounds of butter, 32 pounds of oil, 45 pounds of milk, 30 pounds water, 2.5 pounds salt, and 7 pounds of Watkins All Natural Baking Vanilla Extract. [8] Watkins commissioned Wuollet Bakery in Minneapolis to create the cake, and the record-breaking event took place at Watkins headquarters during the company's 150th anniversary celebration. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake oil</span> Euphemism for false advertising

Snake oil is a term used to describe deceptive marketing, health care fraud, or a scam. Similarly, snake oil salesman is a common label used to describe someone who sells, promotes, or is a general proponent of some valueless or fraudulent cure, remedy, or solution. The term comes from the "snake oil" that used to be sold as a cure-all elixir for many kinds of physiological problems. Many 19th-century United States and 18th-century European entrepreneurs advertised and sold mineral oil as "snake oil liniment", making claims about its efficacy as a panacea. Patent medicines that claimed to be a panacea were extremely common from the 18th century until the 20th, particularly among vendors masking addictive drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, alcohol, and opium-based concoctions or elixirs, to be sold at medicine shows as medication or products promoting health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cake</span> Flour-based baked sweet

Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate and which share features with desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards, and pies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winona, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The population was 25,948 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake's Cakes</span> Brand of American baked goods

Drake's is a brand of American baked goods. The company was founded by Newman E. Drake in 1896 in Harlem, New York, as The N.E. Drake Baking Company, but it is now owned by McKee Foods. The company makes snack cake products such as Devil Dogs, Funny Bones, Coffee Cakes, Ring Dings, and Yodels. Drake's has traditionally been marketed primarily in the Northeastern U.S., but it expanded to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. regions in 2016. The products are made under the Orthodox Union kosher certification guidelines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium bitartrate</span> Chemical salt used in cooking as cream of tartar

Potassium bitartrate, also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, with formula KC4H5O6, is a chemical compound with a number of uses. It is the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic acid). In cooking, it is known as cream of tartar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pond's</span> Beauty product brand

Pond's is an American brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheerwine</span> Cherry-flavored soft drink

Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soft drink by Carolina Beverage Corporation of Salisbury, North Carolina. It has been produced since 1917, claiming to be "the oldest continuing soft drink company still operated by the same family".

The Ferrara Candy Company is an American candy manufacturer, based in Chicago, Illinois, and owned by the Ferrero Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mentholatum</span> American maker of non-prescription health care products

The Mentholatum Company, Inc. is a maker of non-prescription health care products founded in 1889 by Albert Alexander Hyde in the United States. It was bought out by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., a Japanese health care company, in 1988. The Mentholatum Company is known for its top three products, Mentholatum Ointment, Mentholatum Deep Heating Rub, and Mentholatum Lip Care. The Mentholatum Company also produces Fletcher's Laxative a product line purchased in 1984, from Sterling Drug. The Mentholatum Building in Buffalo, New York, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neal's Yard Remedies</span> A UK-based multi-level marketing company

Neal's Yard Remedies is a UK-based retail and multi-level marketing company selling cosmetics, skin care products, and essential oils. The direct selling arm is branded NYR Organics. The company was founded in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker's Chocolate</span> Brand of baking chocolate

Baker's Chocolate is a brand name for the line of baking chocolates owned by Kraft Heinz. Products include a variety of bulk chocolates, including white and unsweetened, and sweetened coconut flakes. It is one of the largest national brands of chocolate in the United States. The company was originally named Walter Baker & Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchants National Bank (Winona, Minnesota)</span> United States historic place

Merchants National Bank is a bank building in Winona, Minnesota, United States, designed in the Prairie School architectural style. It was built in 1912 and features elaborate terracotta and stained-glass ornamentation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 for having state-level significance in the themes of architecture and commerce. It was nominated for being the "largest and probably best example" of the 18 Midwestern banks designed by Purcell, Feick & Elmslie, a significant influence on early-20th-century American architecture. It is also a contributing property to the Winona Commercial Historic District.

A Nelson & Co Limited, trading as Nelsons, is a British alternative medicine company, with subsidiaries in Germany and the US. The head office and manufacturing facilities are located in Wimbledon, London, with a retail pharmacy in Central London. Spatone is manufactured at the Trefriw Wells Spa in Snowdonia, Wales.

Willet Hauser Architectural Glass, Inc is a North American stained glass firm located in Winona, Minnesota, that specializes in the design, fabrication, preservation and restoration of leaded stained glass and faceted glass windows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Winona County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Winona County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Winona County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Valastro</span> American pastry chef

Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr. is an American baker, reality television personality, and businessman. He has taken his small, family-owned bake shop, Carlo's Bakery, and turned it into a baking and restaurant empire. Valastro is best known as the star of the reality television series Cake Boss, which ran on the TLC cable channel from April 2009 until April 2020. He has also starred in Next Great Baker (2010), Kitchen Boss (2011), Buddy's Bakery Rescue (2013), Bake You Rich (2013), Bakery Boss (2013), Buddy vs. Duff (2019), Buddy vs. Christmas (2020) Buddy Valastro's Cake Dynasty (2023-present) and Legends of The Fork (2023-present)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Hill, Northenden</span> Building in Manchester, England

Rose Hill on Longley Lane in Northenden, Manchester, England, is a 19th-century Victorian villa. It is most notable as the home of Sir Edward Watkin, "railway king and cross-channel visionary", and in the late 20th century it was in use as a children's home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Ray Watkins</span> American entrepreneur

Joseph Ray Watkins was an American entrepreneur and founder of Watkins Incorporated with his homemade medical products – liniment, extracts, and salves. He offered the United States's first money back guarantee for his products and is credited as the founder of the direct sales industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watkins Manor House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Watkins Manor House is a historic mansion in Winona, Minnesota, United States. It was built from 1924 to 1927 for Paul Watkins (1865–1931), second-generation leader of the J.R. Watkins Company and progenitor of its famous door-to-door sales strategy. It was designed in the Jacobethan style by architect Ralph Adams Cram. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as the Paul Watkins House for its local significance in the themes of architecture and commerce. It was nominated for its associations with Paul Watkins and the Watkins Company, and for its architecture, being a rare and unaltered example of a house designed by an architect better known for his churches and institutional buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson Erickson Dairy</span> Dairy in Iowa

The Anderson Erickson Dairy (AE) is the largest independently owned dairy in Iowa. Headquartered in Des Moines, it was founded in June 1930 during the Great Depression by Iver Erickson and Bill Anderson. After eight years in business, Anderson sold his interest in the company and moved to Minnesota, leaving Erickson with complete ownership of the company. By 2004 the family-owned company was the 73rd largest dairy by sales in the United States. As of 2021, it was still run by descendants of Iver Erickson.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Williams, Robert L. Jr.; Williams, Helena A. (2017-03-23). Vintage Marketing Differentiation: The Origins of Marketing and Branding Strategies. Springer. ISBN   9781137387219. Watkins introduced the first Trial-Mark bottle in 1869, which became America's first money-back guarantee.
  3. "21st Century Watkins Man". Twin Cities Business. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  4. "Made in Minnesota: Patent Medicine on the Prairie". Digital Public Library of America. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  5. "Watkins, J. R., Medical Company Complex". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  6. Frame III, Robert M. (August 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form: J.R. Watkins Medical Company Complex". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-06-29.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. Mitchell, Tesla (15 September 2018). "A slice of history: Winona's Waktins Inc. celebrates 150th birthday with world-record, 260-layer cake". Winona Daily News. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  8. "Greatest number of layers in a layer cake". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  9. "World-record layer cake teeters but doesn't topple in Winona celebration". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2019-02-15.