| 1880's
| 1890's | 1900's | 1910's
| 1920's | 1930's | 1940's
| 1950's | 1960's | 1970's
| 1980's | 1990's | 2000's... |
| 1880-1890
Charles Cretors opens
a confectionary shop in Decatur, Illinois. Workers made candy right in
the window so that passersby could see how their future purchases were
created. Always on the lookout for new attractions, Charles bought a
steam-powered peanut roaster. Roasted peanuts were a popular snack food
and a logical addition to his offerings. Disappointed with his new acquisition,
he felt he could make a better product and set out about doing so. Charles
had a passion for how things worked and how they could be made to work
better. Soon, Charles Cretors moved to Chicago where he felt he could
become a commercial success.
Charles Cretors bought
a vendors license and put his new roaster machine on the sidewalk in front
of his shop. It wasn't long before Cretors met J.M. Savage, a traveling
salesman who knew a good thing when he saw it. After his purchase of freshly
roasted peanuts, Savage looked at Cretors and said "You know, I'll
wager that I could sell these in my territory. Cretors responded "I
bet you could too." And C. Cretors and Company first sales department
was born. |
1891 Roaster |
| Back to top |
|
1890-1900
By
1893, Cretors had created a steam powered machine that could roast 12 pounds
of peanuts, 20 pounds of coffee, pop corn and bake chestnuts as well. Cretors'
machine design offered several advantages over the hand-operated process.
First as a machine, it made operation more predictable and it provided
an attraction for both the retailer and the customer. There was the novelty
of the steam engine, the Tosty Rosty Man, a small mechanical clown that
acted as a merchandiser for the machine.
Charles Cretors took his new popcorn wagon to the Midway of Chicago's Columbian
Exposition in 1893 and introduced the new corn product to the public. The
smell of roasting peanuts and of hot buttered corn being popped in its
seasoning right before the buyers eyes was enough to attract attention
and ultimately sales. |
 |
|
|
1900-1910
Patents Received: Patent # 728,550: Popcorn Machine
Design, Patent # 728,549:Peanut Roaster Design
By 1900, Cretors introduced the Special – the first large horse
drawn popcorn wagon. It was an immediate success. Three variations of
this wagon were created and for the first time in 15 years, C. Cretors
and Company showed a nice profit. The machines were, for the most part,
still nearly custom made, holding to the Cretors tradition – meeting
the specific needs of specific customers. This was also the time period
that electricity was becoming the wave of the future. Charles Cretors
created the first popcorn machine with an electric motor. Charles did
what he knew best – to
give his customers the best he had to offer and the best they could buy
anywhere. As a result, C. Cretors and Company holds one of the oldest active
Underwriter Laboratory numbers (EA175) for a machine driven by an electric
motor. The Earnmore popper was introduced.
|
Improved Special Model D Wagon |
|
|
1910-1920
Model Introduced: Earnmore Popper
Cretors remained the leader in the business, even when competition
began to emerge. The electric poppers soon took to market and quickly
became the choice of power. Steam power had a long reputation for
being complicated and dangerous. Electricity was simply quieter,
more efficient and more adaptable. This was also the decade where
movies. The Earnmore popper become Cretors most popular model.
2/3 of Cretors sales were of Earnmores. Motion pictures were first
introduced with the 1917 picture, “The Birth of a Nation”
|
Earnmore |
|
|
1920-1930
Model Introduced: Improved Model 400
Patent Received: 1,436,862: Electric Peanut Roaster
The Model 400 popper was designed to produce and store more popcorn as
theatre attendance steadily grew. Steam powered machines and wagon sales
began to decline as the electric models began to take hold. The last
steam-powered Earnmore made was sold on November 22, 1929. In 1929, “Steam
Boat Willie”,
a cartoon produced by Walt Disney, introduced Mickey Mouse to the movie
going public. The cartoon was the first motion picture to include sound
with motion.
|
Model 400 |
|
|
1930-1940
1934 Charles John
Cretors (Third Generation) entered the business.
Model Introduced: Majestic, Junior, Opportunity, Anniversary, Hollywood
and the Giant 41
At this point, the Depression hit. The hard times people faced spurred
the success of the movies. The movies always had provided an escape from
reality, and in the Depression, people sought escape more than ever in
the make-believe of films. The movie theater operators originally did
not allow the machines inside the buildings because it wasn’t “respectable”.
However, the operators began to take the use of popcorn machine as an
extra profit maker more seriously. Cretors introduced various machine
models designed specifically for movie theatre and concession stand use.
They were designed to replace the Earnmore.
|
Hollywood |
|
|
1940-1950
Model Introduced: Super 60, Manual oil pumps added in
poppers, Develop the OVT (Official Volume Tester) as a laboratory machine
to measure popcorn quality for Popcorn Processors Association.
Patent Received: 1941 Patent # 2,254,271: Two piece automatic open cover
for pedestal style poppers and demonstrates pins to retain kettle cover
C. Cretors and Company along with the rest of the world was faced with
World War II. In 1941 the War Production Board issued L-65, stopping all
non-war-related production. The U.S. was officially in World War II, and
the country was being mobilized for the effort. Cretors was out of the
popcorn business. Completed machines could not be sold, partly assembled
machines could not be completed and the stock on hand could not be fabricated
for more machines. As a result, C.J. went to work for the war effort and
become a government supplier. Cretors purchased new production equipment
and lined itself themselves up for continued operation – producing
aircraft oil line fittings and mechanical radio components among other
things. After the war, the company, as did all other manufacturing companies,
faced a shortage of materials. Cretors introduced the Super 60, a popcorn
machine with an all maple cabinet.
|
Model 60 |
|
|
1950
– 1960
Models Introduced: Ambassador machine: 1954 Designed by
Raymond Lowey, Olympic Popcorn Machine – First machine with automatic oil
pump. Named after the Helsinki Olympics, Giant Special Popping Plant. OWVT
(Official Weight Volume Tester) 2nd Generation of the OVT and is more accurate
Patents Received: Patent #2,803,891 Popcorn storing and dispensing Machine
Patent #2,856,841 Automatic electric oil pump in popcorn machine.
Television quickly emerged, and the motion picture industry suffered immensely
as more homes acquired televisions. The popcorn industry suffered from
an image problem. The movies had almost single-handedly been the salvation
of the business during the 1930’s. In the process, people had so inextricably
tied the two together that they came to feel that the only time one ate
popcorn was at the movie house. The solution to the problem was to change
the image of popcorn and reach new markets. Raymond Lowey, the world-renowned
industrial designer was hired by C.J. to redesign the Hollywood popcorn
machine. Lowey had been responsible for the “new” look of the
Studebaker, generally regarded as the sleekest, most modern-looking automobile
of the day. Lowey streamlined the machine, giving it a more “space
age” look. The Ambassador became a hallmark of the Cretors line until
1968 when it was replaced with the Diplomat machine. Through press releases,
newsletters, PR stunts and independent test results, Cretors retained their
position as undisputed leader of the industry. The market for Cretors products
changed dramatically after television drew people away from movie theaters.
The company turned to large volume users and developed machines for their
use. The Olympic series was intended specifically for large concession
stands in theatres, stadiums and drive-in movie theatres. The Giant Special
Popping Plant was designed and was ideal for busy users who required volume
production and appreciated the maximum profits high volume made possible.
|
Ambassador |
|
|
1960-1970
Models Introduced: The Cretormatic,
the fully automatic popcorn machine, President, Pace Maker, Duchess,
7600 Automatic Pump, Hot Air Flo-Thru Popper is designed, Pail
mounted pumps replacing oil drawers
Patents Received: Patent # 3,134,510 Popcorn warmer and Dispenser, Patent
# 3.167,453 Caramelizer Kettle Design, Patent # 3,272,111 Popcorn Popper
1960 marks 75 years in business for C. Cretors and Company..
The Olympic machine gave way to the more simplified President series. This
machine was designed to be more user friendly in the for the serving counter
configuration of many of the new and larger theaters and larger outdoor
stadiums. Cretors introduced the Pacemaker and the Duchess, new small economy
priced machines. The Pacemaker was the first popper to offer an optional
7600 Automatic Seasoning pump – the only economy priced machine with
this feature. Cretors replaced the Ambassador with the Diplomat in 1968
with an all-steel popping kettle.
1967 C.D. Cretors joins the business. Working with CJ, CD developed the
first continuous hot air popcorn machine comprised of a hot air fluidized
bed oven.
|
Cretormatic |
|
|
1970-1980
Models introduced: Windsor – has all the features
of a luxury models in a medium priced machine.
Patents Received: 1972: Patent #3,645,422 Feeder for Flo-Thru, 1973: Patent
#3,739,953 Popcorn oil metering device (Wet Pop Plants), 1974: MWVT (Metric
Weight Volume Tester) replaces the OWVT in response to changes in popcorn
hybrids., 1976: Red Top line introduced with T-2000 Stainless steel cabinet
and all steel kettle., 1977: 7700 Pump introduced replaces 7600 pump.
CD continues to develop
the first hot continuous hot air popcorn machine, and creates the first
official "Red Top Line" of poppers with the 12 oz. T-2000 leading the way.
|
Windsor |
|
|
1980-1990
Models Introduced: Profiteer
replaces the Pacemaker , T-2000 replaces the Duchess, Merchant replaces
the Windsor, 1983: Goldrush is introduced
Patents received: 1980: Patent #4,206,695 patent on spring dump kettle
supports, 1986: Digital MWVT – continues to respond to popcorn hybrid
changes and improved accuracy.
1987: Ringmaster introduced with revolutionary collector ring and motor
mounting system and traditional heat elements.
The
Red top line expands to include the new 6 oz. Goldrush and 14 oz. Profiteer.
On July 7, 1988, The United States Postal Service issues a 16.7 cent postage
stamp that features an illustration of the Cretors 1902 Model of the No.
1 Wagon. It was issued as part of the transportation series. It was done
to pay tribute to America's first snack and the machine that made it all
possible.
|
Goldrush |
| Back to top |
|
1990-2000
Models Introduced: Headliner , High output poppers designed – 32
oz. Diplomat and 48oz. Giants, 2500 Flo-thru built
1990 First popcorn machine to carry CE mark.
1993 Ringmaster redesigned with tubular elements.
1994: Bag-in-Box Patent
Patents Received: 1995: Patent #5,397,210 Drain back valve for BIB permits
use of solid oil without heat tracing on oil line, 1997: Patent #5,662,024
Logic controller, 1998: G’Zilla popper with 240 oz. kettle.
As theatres go through a major business boom, Cretors expands its
product lines to accommodate the new demands in the marketplace. The Headliner,
with 360 degree merchandising that includes, four back-lit signs, fluorescent accent
lights, and internal halogen lights is introduced as the newest luxury
popcorn machine.
Cretors
responds to the Cotton Candy market with a newly designed cotton candy
machine that does not use the traditional ribbons and bands design. Instead,
tubular heating elements are used, creating a simpler and much more efficient
machine.
|
Headliner |
|
|
2000-2010
Models Introduced:2003 60
oz. Kettle
Patents Received: 2000:
Patent #6,123,011 Roc & Roll
Bin
, 2005: Patent #6,872,923 One Pop control.
With the theatre business
winding down, Cretors continues to innovate, create and solve problems
in the marketplace. The 60 oz. kettle is added to both suspended and
pedestal poppers, increasing production capacity. Cretors begins to focus
on machine options such as One-Pop, Salt/Sugar switches, stainless steel
kettles, among others to allow buyers to essentially create a machine
that suits their specific needs in the field. The emergence of
other food service
equipment are quick to come including warming cabinets, expanded topping
and dispensing systems, hot dog, nacho cheese, and caramelizing and nut
roasting equipment.
|
Popper with Roc N' Roll Warming Unit |
|
Adapted
from the book C.
Cretors and Company The First 100 years: 1885-1985
Please do not alter or modify contents.
C. Cretors and Company, Chicago, IL. |
