Graco (pronounced ''gray-co'') is an American baby products company based in

High Point, North Carolina High Point is a city in the Piedmont Triad region of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Most of the city is in Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford County, with parts extending into Randolph County, North Carolina, Randolph, ...

. It is owned and operated by

Newell Brands Newell Brands is an American manufacturer, marketer and distributor of consumer and commercial products. The company's brands and products include Rubbermaid storage and trash containers; home organization and reusable container products; Contig ...

. Graco offers products including car seats, travel systems, strollers, high chairs, play yards, and baby swings.

History

Graco was founded in 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Russell Gray and Robert Cone (hence the name) as Graco Metal Products, a company that fabricated machine and car parts. Rex Thomas (one of two engineers hired to come up with a sustainable product) watched his wife sitting on the porch, rocking their baby in a swing with a string tied to it, while she read a book. Rex went into work the next day and said "why don't we make an automatic baby swing." After 18 months of research and development, the Swyngomatic - the world's first wind-up, automatic baby swing was born in 1955, designed by company engineer Dave Saint. In 1987, the company pioneered the invention of the Pack N' Play Portable Playard, the world's first portable play yard (designed by Nate Saint, Dave Saint's son). In 1998, Rubbermaid acquired Century, a car seat manufacturer and introduced the SnugRide infant car seat, which has become America's top-selling infant car seat line. Century actually introduced the travel system where a car seat could fit on a stroller for easy transportation. That same year, Graco was acquired by

Rubbermaid Rubbermaid is an American manufacturer and distributor of household items. It is a subsidiary of Newell Brands. It is best known for producing food storage containers and trash cans. Additionally, it produces sheds, footstool, step stools, closet ...

. A year later in 1999, the company was acquired by Newell Company and Newell became Newell Rubbermaid. In 2016, Newell Rubbermaid changed its name to

when they acquired

Jarden Jarden was an American consumer products company. Formed by the spin out of Ball Corporation's canning business, the company became a wider conglomerate of consumer brands, particularly in the outdoors and home appliances market. Jarden was acqu ...

. In 2002, Graco launched the Turbo Booster, a booster seat designed to help parents stay in compliance with many states' passage of laws requiring children to stay in a car seat longer. In 2007, the company purchased established German baby product brand, Teutonia. The same year, the ''Nautilus'' 3-in-1 car seat debuted, earning the "Best Bet" designation from

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collision ...

. Then, in 2008, Graco acquired Aprica Kassai, the number one selling baby brand in Japan. In 2014, Newell Rubbermaid acquired American baby brand, Baby Jogger.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graco (Baby Products) Infant products companies Manufacturing companies established in 1942 Babycare Infancy Baby products 1942 establishments in Pennsylvania Manufacturing companies based in North Carolina