Like many great inventions, Austin Foundry Cookware was born out of necessity.
As passionate home cooks, AFC Vice President Lisa Girdaukas says she and her husband, Sean, were using cast iron skillets in their outdoor pizza oven — but the design made them difficult to maneuver.
Sean is a third-generation owner of Austin Foundry in Sheboygan, which produces gray and ductile iron castings. With his knowledge as a cast iron foundryman, Sean decided to design his own version of a cast iron skillet.
Superior leverage and ease of handling were the design priorities, says Girdaukas.
“For me, it was mostly about being able to lift it and not be front heavy,” she says. “Our design has the helper handle on the front, so it’s easier to lift if I’m picking something up from inside the oven and lifting it up to the stovetop.”
The result of a year-long design process that began in 2018 is a versatile cast iron skillet that is as effective on the stovetop as in the oven (or grill, smoker or open flame). Each hand-poured skillet is embossed with the original logo of Austin Foundry, established in 1946.
Today AFC offers cast iron skillets in three sizes, a food press (great for smash burgers, Girdaukas says) and cast iron care products. AFC has a new skillet currently in design that Girdaukas hopes to debut early next year, with the goal of introducing one new product annually.
Girdaukas says one of the unexpected joys of expanding into a cookware line has been the collaborations with other Sheboygan businesses. The Shipping Mill is now the distributor of AFC products, and Johnsonville Sausage, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Relish Kitchen Store and Stefano’s Slo Food Market all carry AFC products in their retail spaces.
“[Sean and I] started this really small — just the two of us, and the support that Sheboygan has shown us [has] been overwhelming,” she says. “I’m proud of our products, but I’m also proud of the people who live here who have been so supportive. It’s been neat to live in a community with that kind of support.”
