Ted Nierenberg
Encyclopedia
Theodore David "Ted" Nierenberg (May 20, 1923 – July 31, 2009) was an American
business executive and entrepreneur who created Dansk International Designs
, a company that sells Scandinavian Design
-style cooking and serving utensils and other home furnishings, established after discovering the simple but elegant design style on a 1950s trip to Denmark
.
Nierenberg was born on May 20, 1923, and majored in engineering management Pittsburgh's Carnegie Institute of Technology
, earning a bachelor of science degree in 1944. After graduation, he worked in the family business that manufactured metal nameplates for appliances.
On a trip to Europe
in May 1954, Nierenberg visited a museum in Copenhagen
, where he saw a set of unique flatware on display that combined teak
handles and stainless steel
, created by artist and industrial design
er Jens Harald Quistgaard. Nierenberg tracked down Quistgaard and spoke with him in an effort to convince him to manufacture the cutlery, but Quistgaard insisted that the pieces could only be forged
by hand, one piece at a time. Nierenberg was able to convince Quistgaard that the pieces could be mass produced, leading to Dansk International Design's first product, the Fjord line, which has been one of the firm's enduring bestsellers.
Dansk was established that same year by Nierenberg and his wife in the garage of their Great Neck, New York
home, with Quistgaard as its founding designer. By 1956, Nierenberg wasn't certain that American consumers were ready for the spare styling and brought some early samples of stainless steel flatware with sinuous carved wooden handles to a Manhattan store, and was so surprised that the company bought several hundred units on the spot that he almost walked in front of a bus driving down the street. By 1958, Nierengard and Quistgaard had expanded Dansk's wares to include teak magazine racks and stools, stoneware casseroles and salt and pepper shakers, and flatware with split cane handles, with The New York Times
that year as "creating a stir" as "some of the most popular accessories found in American homes".
Dansk relocated to Mount Kisco, New York
and was known for its sleek, functional products often made of exotic woods such as teak, combined with enameled metal and stainless steel. Dansk was purchased in June 1985 by Dansk Acquisition Corp. in a deal initiated by Goldman Sachs
.
, was described by The New York Times as being "widely considered among the finest gardens in the Hudson Valley
". The Beckoning Path: Lessons of a Lifelong Garden, a book of Nierenberg's photographs of his gardens, was published by Aperture Press in 1993.
Nierenberg died at age 86 on July 31, 2009, due to pancreatic cancer
at his home in Armonk, New York
. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons and ten grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business executive and entrepreneur who created Dansk International Designs
Dansk International Designs
Dansk Designs was an American distributor and retailer of cookware, tableware, and other home accessories based in Mount Kisco, New York...
, a company that sells Scandinavian Design
Scandinavian Design
Scandinavian design emerged in the 1950s in the three Scandinavian countries , as well as Finland. It is a design movement characterized by simple designs, minimalism, functionality, and low-cost mass production....
-style cooking and serving utensils and other home furnishings, established after discovering the simple but elegant design style on a 1950s trip to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Nierenberg was born on May 20, 1923, and majored in engineering management Pittsburgh's Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
, earning a bachelor of science degree in 1944. After graduation, he worked in the family business that manufactured metal nameplates for appliances.
On a trip to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in May 1954, Nierenberg visited a museum in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, where he saw a set of unique flatware on display that combined teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
handles and stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, created by artist and industrial design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
er Jens Harald Quistgaard. Nierenberg tracked down Quistgaard and spoke with him in an effort to convince him to manufacture the cutlery, but Quistgaard insisted that the pieces could only be forged
Forged
Forged is a book written by biblical scholar, Bart D. Ehrman which attempts to analyze the historical accuracy of the Christian Bible. The book posits that 11 or more books out of the 27 books of the Christian New Testament canon were written as certain types of forgeries related to the politics...
by hand, one piece at a time. Nierenberg was able to convince Quistgaard that the pieces could be mass produced, leading to Dansk International Design's first product, the Fjord line, which has been one of the firm's enduring bestsellers.
Dansk was established that same year by Nierenberg and his wife in the garage of their Great Neck, New York
Great Neck, New York
The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens...
home, with Quistgaard as its founding designer. By 1956, Nierenberg wasn't certain that American consumers were ready for the spare styling and brought some early samples of stainless steel flatware with sinuous carved wooden handles to a Manhattan store, and was so surprised that the company bought several hundred units on the spot that he almost walked in front of a bus driving down the street. By 1958, Nierengard and Quistgaard had expanded Dansk's wares to include teak magazine racks and stools, stoneware casseroles and salt and pepper shakers, and flatware with split cane handles, with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that year as "creating a stir" as "some of the most popular accessories found in American homes".
Dansk relocated to Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco is a community that is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Mount Kisco is coterminous with the village. The population was 10,877 at the 2010 census.- History :...
and was known for its sleek, functional products often made of exotic woods such as teak, combined with enameled metal and stainless steel. Dansk was purchased in June 1985 by Dansk Acquisition Corp. in a deal initiated by Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
.
Personal
His woodland garden and its Japanese maplesAcer palmatum
Acer palmatum, called Japanese Maple or Smooth Japanese Maple is a species of woody plant native to Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their attractive leaf...
, was described by The New York Times as being "widely considered among the finest gardens in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
". The Beckoning Path: Lessons of a Lifelong Garden, a book of Nierenberg's photographs of his gardens, was published by Aperture Press in 1993.
Nierenberg died at age 86 on July 31, 2009, due to pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
at his home in Armonk, New York
Armonk, New York
Armonk is a hamlet and census-designated place located in the town of North Castle in Westchester County, New York. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 4,330....
. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons and ten grandchildren.