Edward Ford Plate Glass Company

After Captain Ford sold the family business in 1897, son Edward continued to pursue his passion for glassmaking and built the Ford Plate Glass Company in Rossford, Ohio. The Edward Ford Plate Glass Company was producing roughly one fifth of all the plate glass in the U.S. by the time of Edward’s death in 1920. Edward operated the factory until his death.

After Edward’s death in 1920, his company would eventually merge with two other great glassmaking companies: Libbey and Owens. Edward Libbey, founder of the Libbey Glass Company, and Michael J. Owens of the Owen Bottle Company had already formed a partnership as the Libbey–Owens Sheet Glass Company. The three companies came together in 1930 to form the Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, one of the largest glass manufacturers in the world. Today the company is part of Pilkington North America.

"Purchasing 173 acres on the Maumee River, adjoining Toledo, Mr. Ford in 1898 began building the model town of Rossford and constructing the largest plate glass plant under one roof in the United States."