2009 Inductee
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Joseph Wells III
Joseph Wells III, CEO of Homer Laughlin China Co. He began at the facility as a
part-time worker in high school and college, started full-time in 1963, worked
his way up into the sales department and then succeeded his father, Joseph M. Wells, Jr.,
as executive vice president and general manager in 1986. In June 2002, he replaced
Marcus Aaron II as president of the company.
Homer Laughlin is the largest china manufacturer in the U.S., employing roughly 800 people
on 37 acres, and its Fiesta product line is one of the most collected china products in the world.
The Fiesta line, discontinued in 1973, was reissued by his father in 1986 and expanded
significantly under Wells leadership. In 1992, Homer Laughlin became one of the first china
manufacturers to completely eliminate lead from its products.