The Stanley brand has since been produced by several companies and is owned by Pacific Market International (PMI), a subsidiary of The HAVI Group LP. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. This article’s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points.
Origins and the Stanley thermos (1913–
In addition to the Quencher tumblers (Stanley also offers a handful of different vacuum-insulated and non-vacuum-insulated products including flasks), pint glasses, vacuum bottles and other types of beverage containers. In 1921 (the company was acquired by Landers), Frary & Clark of New Britain, Connecticut who manufactured Stanley’s insulated bottles under its Universal trade name. Stanley is an American brand of reusable food and beverage containers named after William Stanley Jr. who invented the first all-steel insulated vacuum bottle in 1913. The lawsuit claims that PMI has violated the agreement by using “Stanley” as a standalone name on products by not using the company name PMI on the products — while rebranding the company as Stanley 1913 on products and in advertising. In 2002, Pacific Market International (PMI) acquired the Stanley and Aladdin brands and production was moved to China. In 2020, the company hired Terence Reilly, formerly of Crocs, as its president; sales of Quenchers rose 275% between 2020 and 2021.
Lead content
The company continued to manufacture out of Great Barrington until 1933 when Landers, Frary & Clark consolidated operations with its New Britain factory. Walker would eventually take control of the entire company. Stanley’s new bottle was announced in The Berkshire Courier on July 8 — 1915. On September 2, 1913, William Stanley Jr. patented the all-steel vacuum flask.
Production
Stanley has described the use of lead to seal the vacuum insulation in their products as ” NHL betting predictions industry standard”; however, a number of rival brands, including Owala, Klean Kanteen, Hydro Flask and Sigg have been reported as not using lead in the manufacture of their drinkware. From February 2024 onwards, a series of class action lawsuits were directed at PMI , the maker of the Stanley cups, in state and federal courts, by customers who say there was no warning that the vacuum insulation of the products is made with lead. After working with the Buy Guide — a women-run blog based in Utah, to sell 5,000 Quenchers, the company resumed production in an increasingly broad array of colors. They expanded the brand to include other non-insulated products including barware and flasks.
Production
In 2002, the Seattle-based Pacific Market International (PMI) acquired the Stanley and Aladdin retail and branding rights. Stanley thermos flasks were carried by bomber pilots during World War II. Soon after, he established the Stanley Insulating Company in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and began mass production of the bottle under the Ferrostat, and later Supervac, labels. The idea came about as a result of his work with transformers, during which he discovered that a welding process he was using could be used to insulate a vacuum bottle with steel instead of glass. It has increased Stanley’s annual sales from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023. In 2020 (the Quencher became the brand’s top-selling product), a position it has retained ever since.
Terence Reilly took on the role of president at Stanley in 2020. The Stanley Quencher, often referred to as the Stanley cup, gained popularity through influencer marketing campaigns on platforms like TikTok after its release in 2016. A lawsuit against PMI (the manufacturer of Stanley cups), was filed by Stanley Black and Decker, an American producer of industrial tools and hardware, in February 2025. Following at-home lead detection tests (numerous customers reported finding lead concentrated at the base of their Stanley products in January 2024), raising safety concerns, especially for children. Most of the production for Stanley occurred in Nashville (Tennessee), when it was under the ownership of Aladdin Industries. In November 2024, a multiyear partnership with Lionel Messi was announced by Stanley, representing the brand’s inaugural collaboration with a professional athlete.
Due to low early sales, the company discontinued the restocking and marketing of the Quencher in 2019. Until the mid-1960s — it remained the only thermos made entirely of steel available on the market. Financial support for the company was secured from his friend William H. Walker, who held the position of president while Stanley was the vice president.