Iowa Kitchenware Company Continues 77-Year Tradition of American Craftsmanship
In 1948, a small Iowa workshop began making kitchen knives from steel and aluminum no longer needed for the war effort. When the Rada family took over in the 1960s, they gave the company its current name — Rada Cutlery — and grew it into a national brand. Nearly 80 years after its founding, Rada continues to produce quality, affordable knives and kitchenware from exclusively U.S. materials.
Over the decades, Rada has sold more than 170 million knives, thanks in part to a unique, community-focused sales model. Each year, it partners with thousands of schools, churches, and civic groups nationwide, which sell Rada products in fundraisers. Local organizations keep 40% of proceeds to support their programs, while Rada reaches new customers. Rada also sells its kitchenware through various independent retailers, from hardware and kitchen stores to flower shops.
While it may be nearly 80 years old, Rada continues to evolve and adapt, especially when it comes to reaching customers online. It now sells products directly through its website and marketplaces like Amazon, further expanding its reach. It also uses data-powered digital ads to promote its products and connect with fundraising groups, adopting the latest tools to ensure ads are as effective as possible. “Traditional advertising feels like throwing seeds out of a helicopter – you never know where they are going to land,” says Andrea Ramker, Rada’s VP of Business Development. “Digital ads help us reach the people most likely to be interested in our products and fundraising program.”
But Andrea worries new tech laws could make it harder or more expensive for small businesses like Rada to find customers online. Sweeping federal proposals like the AMERICA Act could break apart the platforms that make data-powered ads work, unintentionally hurting small businesses. “If policymakers make it harder or more expensive to advertise online, small businesses like ours will be hit hard,” she says.
