The 100-Year-Old Business in Mohawk You May Not Know Exists

Mohawk is home to one of the oldest continually operating businesses in Central New York, but it's one you may not have heard of. Its impressive staying power can be attributed to making one thing, and making that one thing so well that it has virtually no peers after 100 years.

That business is Kwik-Kut Manufacturing, and they make a particular type of food chopper. Its incredibly simple, yet effective design has allowed Kwik-Kut to stay relevant in a crowded industry of fancy and elaborate kitchen gadgets all these years later. Testimonials claim it's particularly useful for chopping salads and hard-boiled eggs, although its uses are only limited to the user's imagination.

This particular style of food chopper was first made in the early 1920s by a couple named William and Dorothy Carter out of their Ilion garage. The product became so popular that they moved into a full working factory in the 1950s. A retired Remington Arms worker named John Fitzer acquired Kwik-Kut in 1966 and helped innovate new product designs and achieve national distribution.

Fitzer's daughter, Mary Morse bought the company in 1989 and still runs it today. A notable member of the local business community, she was honored by the State Senate as a New York "Women of Distinction" in 2011.

"We here at Kwik-Kut take great pride in manufacturing quality kitchen tools. We have a strong commitment to all of our employees, our community, and to fair business practices. Our policy is to sell to anyone, no order too big, no order too small!"

With the Remington Arms factory now closed, Kwik-Kut Manufacturing can now lay claim to being one of the oldest businesses in the Mohawk Valley. For more information on Kwik-Kut's product line, visit their website at this link.