lehman's
Lehman's is a family-owned, multi-channel specialty retailer founded in 1955 in Kidron, Ohio, selling cast iron cookware, canning supplies, homesteading equipment, and Amish- and USA-made goods through a flagship store, e-commerce site, and print catalog to homesteaders, traditional home cooks, outdoor enthusiasts, and Amish Country tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersKidron, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What lehman's does
Lehman's (legal entity Lehman Hardware and Appliances Inc) is a privately held, family-owned specialty retailer founded in 1955 by Jay Lehman and headquartered in Kidron, Ohio. The company curates and sells products geared toward simpler, more self-sufficient living, with a core assortment spanning cast iron cookware, baking supplies, food-preservation equipment (canning, fermenting, drying, freezing), grain mills, non-electric and off-grid appliances, lamps and lighting, farm and garden tools, and homesteading supplies. Lehman's also carries Amish-made and USA-made goods, and has expanded into its own Lancaster Cast Iron sub-brand, a premium heirloom-quality line made in Pennsylvania.
The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model through three channels: a flagship destination retail store in Kidron, Ohio (in the heart of Amish Country and voted the best place to visit on TripAdvisor), the lehmans.com e-commerce storefront (built on the CommerceV3 platform, with account management, wishlists, live chat, and Sezzle BNPL at checkout), and a 156-page print Big Book Catalog sold for $6.99 per copy with free shipping. Marketing combines educational content (the Simpler Living Blog), email, organic social (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook), SMS, in-store events and classes, and earned TripAdvisor-driven tourism traffic.
Lehman's serves individuals and households rather than enterprise customers. Primary personas include homesteaders and self-sufficiency seekers, Amish and plain-community members, camping and outdoor enthusiasts, traditional home cooks, and visitors to Ohio's Amish Country. Revenue is generated through unit-priced hardware and merchandise sales across channels. No public revenue figures, funding rounds, or institutional ownership are disclosed; the company has remained under family ownership through multiple generations.
lehman's firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- lehman's
- Legal name
- Lehman Hardware and Appliances Inc
- Website
- https://lehmans.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Lehman's is a family-owned, multi-channel specialty retailer founded in 1955 in Kidron, Ohio, selling cast iron cookware, canning supplies, homesteading equipment, and Amish- and USA-made goods through a flagship store, e-commerce site, and print catalog to homesteaders, traditional home cooks, outdoor enthusiasts, and Amish Country tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
lehman's industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Traditional Housewares Retail
- NAICS
- Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (335210)
- SIC
- Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Garment Care Appliances Retail (Irons, Steamers, Sewing Machines) (CRACADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Eco-Friendly Laundry Care (Detergents, Boosters, Stain Removers) (CRAJAOAC)
Keywords
Where lehman's is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kidron
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
lehman's business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- E-commerce Sales: Online retail sales through lehmans.com website, offering direct-to-consumer purchasing with options for account creation, order tracking, and wishlists
- Retail Store Sales: Physical retail sales at flagship store in Kidron, Ohio, serving walk-in customers in Amish Country
- Catalog Sales: Print catalog sales with the Big Book Catalog featuring 156 pages of products, priced at $6.99 per catalog with free shipping
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Physical Catalog |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buy Now, Pay Later Financing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cast Iron Cookware |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Specialty Bakeware |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
lehman's product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lehman's is a family-owned retailer that sells traditional, time-tested household products including cast iron cookware, canning and food preservation supplies, homesteading and farm tools, baking supplies, lamps and lighting, non-electric appliances, and toys and gift sets. The company curates USA-made and Amish-made goods and distributes them through a flagship retail store in Kidron, Ohio, an e-commerce website, and a print catalog.
Product overview
Lehman's is a family-owned retail company founded in 1955, specializing in products for simpler living. The company operates both an e-commerce platform and a flagship store in Kidron, Ohio. Their product portfolio is diverse, encompassing multiple categories including Cast Iron Cookware (featuring Lodge cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens, grill pans, and griddles, plus their own Lancaster heirloom-quality USA-made cast iron line), Pots and Pans (stainless steel and specialty cookware), Baking Supplies (pans, accessories, and stoneware like the Dominion Bread Baker), and various other home goods categories. The company also offers complementary accessories such as chainmail scrubbers, seasoning products, care kits, and storage containers. Notably, Lehman's carries specialty cast iron items featuring wildlife designs (Wildlife Series from Lodge including bear, deer, duck, moose, and trout themes), and has expanded their own brand to include premium Lancaster Cast Iron cookware made in Pennsylvania with heirloom-quality craftsmanship. The company emphasizes USA-made products and items suitable for off-grid living, camping, and traditional cooking methods.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lancaster Cast Iron: Premium USA-made cast iron cookware line featuring heirloom-quality craftsmanship, polished pre-seasoned surfaces, and self-basting lids with solid brass knobs. Products include skillets, Dutch ovens, and accessories made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Products and services
- Cast Iron Cookware
Quantifiable outcome
- Products last for generations when properly maintained
Companies that use lehman's
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
lehman's technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
lehman's partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- LodgecoreMajor supplier of cast iron cookware including skillets, griddles, Dutch ovens, and specialty items. Lodge is a leading American cast iron manufacturer whose products are prominently featured throughout Lehman's cookware selection including the Wildlife Series, Sportsman's Pro line, and standard skillet offerings.
- LodgecoreProvides cast iron care products including seasoning spray, scrub brushes, silicone handle holders, and pan scrapers. The Lodge Cast Iron Care Kit is sold as an accessory to help customers maintain their cast iron purchases.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
lehman's competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- REI: Consumer cooperative and large outdoor-lifestyle retailer. Tangential overlap via camping-cookware, outdoor, and active-lifestyle categories, with a much broader and more technical assortment than Lehman's.
- Lodge Cast Iron: Leading American cast iron manufacturer and Lehman's most important supplier. Also a direct-to-consumer competitor through lodgecastiron.com, which means Lodge controls both the supply relationship and an end-customer channel for the same SKUs Lehman's sells.
- Crate & Barrel: Multi-channel home and kitchen retailer carrying cookware, bakeware, and home goods. Adjacent competitor for kitchen and dining spend, with a more contemporary, design-led assortment than Lehman's traditional-curation approach.
Broad incumbents
- Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's: National outdoor and country-lifestyle retailer with overlapping customer interests in cast iron campfire cooking, outdoor gear, and country living. Larger and broader assortment than Lehman's, but competes for the same homesteading and outdoor-cooking wallet share.
- L.L.Bean: Multi-channel traditional American retailer with strong catalog heritage, brand authority in outdoor and home categories, and a national e-commerce footprint. Comparable in operating playbook (catalog + e-commerce + flagship destination) more than in product overlap.
- Williams Sonoma: Large multi-brand kitchen and home retailer (Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn) operating a national store fleet plus e-commerce. A scaled incumbent whose cookware and bakeware categories compete head-to-head with Lehman's kitchen assortment at higher price points.
Direct peers
- Sur La Table: Specialty kitchen retailer (physical stores + e-commerce) selling premium cookware, bakeware, and kitchen tools. Direct overlap with Lehman's cast iron, baking, and cookware categories, though positioned at a higher price point and broader kitchen set.
- Gardener's Supply Company: Employee-owned specialty retailer of gardening, homesteading, and self-sufficiency products via e-commerce and print catalog. Direct overlap with Lehman's homesteading, food-preservation, and self-sufficiency customer base, with similar catalog-led GTM motion.
- Vermont Country Store: Family-owned multi-channel retailer (catalog + e-commerce + flagship stores) specializing in traditional, old-fashioned, and 'made in America' products. Closest structural analog to Lehman's: same playbook of paid catalog, e-commerce, heritage brand, and curated traditional goods.
- King Arthur Baking Company: Baking-focused brand and specialty retailer selling flour, baking supplies, tools, and cookbooks through DTC e-commerce and catalog. Overlaps meaningfully with Lehman's baking-supplies and grain-mills categories and shares a values-driven, traditional-craft positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
lehman's social profiles
Digital presencelehman's financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
lehman's leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
lehman's funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
lehman's M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about lehman's
What does lehman's do?
Lehman's is a family-owned retailer that sells traditional, time-tested household products including cast iron cookware, canning and food preservation supplies, homesteading and farm tools, baking supplies, lamps and lighting, non-electric appliances, and toys and gift sets. The company curates USA-made and Amish-made goods and distributes them through a flagship retail store in Kidron, Ohio, an e-commerce website, and a print catalog.
Is lehman's a public or private company?
lehman's is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was lehman's founded?
lehman's was founded in 1955. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is lehman's based?
lehman's is headquartered in Kidron, United States, in the North America region.
How does lehman's make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Store Sales and catalog Sales.
Who are lehman's's main competitors?
Others on record are REI, Lodge Cast Iron and Crate & Barrel. Broad incumbents are Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's, L.L.Bean and Williams Sonoma. Direct peers are Sur La Table, Gardener's Supply Company, Vermont Country Store and King Arthur Baking Company.
Does lehman's have an API?
No public API is recorded for lehman's.
What industry is lehman's in?
lehman's's product category is Traditional Housewares Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACADAH, Garment Care Appliances Retail (Irons, Steamers, Sewing Machines), with a secondary code of CRAJAOAC, Eco-Friendly Laundry Care (Detergents, Boosters, Stain Removers). Its NAICS code is 335210 and its SIC code is 3420.