WorkLore: Changes in the Workplace

Surprising but True! Today, 68,000 Brooklynites work in factories. Half a century ago, there were more than three times as many: 235,000 in 1954 . Made (Better!) in Brooklyn

Brooklyn's factories reached their peak in the 1950s. Since then, manufacturing has declined, largely due to lower costs outside the city and product competition from abroad. Today, the borough's service industry jobs (restaurants, hospitals, shops, and government) outnumber factory jobs by ten to one.

As the local economy changes, manufacturers who cherish their Brooklyn roots often must develop new strategies to survive. Many succeed by emphasizing specialized products geared to the New York market, as well as personalized service and fast turnaround-time on filling orders.

Left: Workers at F. & M. Schaefer Brewery, Right: Miss Rheingold Ad, 1950s

'Brooklyn was once home to 'Brewer's Row,' 45 breweries. By the 1960s, there were only two beers being made here. Rheingold was the largest. Our advertising and local distribution system helped build our success. But by the 1970s, a nationally distributed beer out-priced our local beer and the plant closed, ending [Rheingold] employment in Bushwick.'

On the Left: Workers at F. & M. Schaefer Brewery, 1949, Collection of Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection. On the Right: Miss Rheingold Ad, 1950s, Courtesy of Rheingold Brewing Co.

'We're a small family business. We've been creating chocolate and flavored syrups for over a hundred years right here in this location in East New York. When a customer says, 'I need it tonight,' my shipping manager makes it happen for them. Being customer oriented in today's work environment keeps us unique.'

Fox’s U-bet Company
Courtesy of Martha Cooper