Built in America: A Look at the Pitco Company

Manufacturing isn’t easy. But when you have a great foundation, the men and women who are dedicated to the process, and the amazing customers who recognize quality, it is easy to see why Pitco has been around all these years.

Yes, you need raw materials and innovative design, but you also need a manufacturing team that’s willing to take those ideas and materials and turn them into reality. And that’s exactly what goes into every Pitco fryer. Right here in Bow, New Hampshire.

Simply put, we take the best global parts and assemble them here in America.

Pitco, formerly known as J.C. Pitman and Sons, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of commercial deep fryers that boasts of a history of over 100 years. The firm was established back in 1918 and successfully created a niche in the food services industry. Customers love their deep fryers for their distinct features and incredible reliability.

Humble Beginnings

Before getting into the industry, J.C. Pitman, the founder, was initially a tinsmith from Boston. He did not love the burned food he had to make do with as he ate lunch at a local cafeteria. In 1918, he established J.C. Pitman and Sons’ Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers that is the present-day Pitco Company.

Folklore has it that frying began when people started to use a receptacle for cooking. Meats tasted way better when cooked in an earthen platter; apparently, they did not lose their juices. Cooking meat relied on the natural fat of the flesh that settled on the dish. All they had to do was to apply heat to the plate.

The cooks soon figured out that they could reuse previously collected fat. It was only a matter of time before deep fat frying became the order of the day and French fry pots made their way into kitchens. J.C. Pitman set up an equipment manufacturer that would build on past discoveries and provide a more efficient method of frying.

First patent – Pitco Frialator

His team discovered that they could improve the quality of fried foods if they kept the particles of food that settled beneath from burning due to the intense heat. They invented and patented the Pitco Frialator in 1959 from this simple idea.

This invention contributed mainly to the establishment of deep fat frying as an art in a host of coastal areas. The Pitco Frialator tremendously reduced the cost and increased food quality and consistency as it changed the game in deep fat frying. The firm carries on Pitman’s legacy today by consistently offering chefs cost-effective kitchen frying solutions that never disappoint.

International Exploits

In the 1950s, one of Pitman’s sons, Del Pitman, married a British woman. As he frequented the UK with his family, he made business ties that took the firm’s products to the global stage. The years that followed saw the company add distributors in Asia and Europe.

The firm stepped up its exports decisively in the 1970s. By the time Blodgett Co. acquired Pitco in 1981, the parent corporation had grown its international resources tremendously. Today, Pitco is part of the Middleby Corporation, giving the brand broader visibility in international markets.

J.C. Pitman’s Inspiration

Up to this day, Pitco continues to invent new ways to offer better service. J.C Pitman, set the ball rolling with words that date back to 1943. His words reverberate in the hearts of employees as they embrace shifts in technology and remain focused on the needs of their customers.

Pitco’s goal is simple. We want customers and consumers to have the best fried foods imaginable! We are proud of our heritage and proud of our U.S manufacturing footprint!

Enough about us. Tell us a little bit more about you! Here at Pitco, we believe in only sending the information you care most about.

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Topics: Pitco