Our History
Copyright 2016. Marble King, Inc.. All rights reserved. | Marble King, Incorporated P O Box 195 Paden City WV 26159-0195 US | +1.3043372264
Marble King, The American Dream
The Empire...
Did you know that a West Virginia company can make 1 million marbles a day? Well, they can!! Marble King, Incorporated, located in Paden City, West Virginia, manufacturers over a million marbles a day at full production capacity. Marble King is the ONLY domestic marble manufacturer and prides itself for keeping their products Made In America. Marbles are used to play the Game or Sport of Marbles, in Board Games, for Decorative Purposes, in Jewelry, in Architectural Projects and in many Industrial Applications. One Industrial Application for Marbles is in a Spray Paint Can. It's used to mix the paint. The rattle you hear when you shake the can is a marble! Special marbles are used in the Wine and Beer making processes.
The King is Crowned...
Berry Pink and Sellers Peltier founded Marble King in 1949. Pink was a successful businessman and loved to interact with children. The marbles sold under the Marble King header in the 30's and early 40's were actually manufactured by Peltier Glass. By the late 1940's, Pink was selling more marbles than Peltier could produce. They joined forces and formed another manufacturing facility in which Pink held the majority of shares. Berry Pink traveled throughout the country hosting marble tournaments and giving away several marbles at each stop. He became known as "The Marble King". That's how the company got its name when it was founded in December 1949.
The New Kingdom...
Marble King was originally located in St. Marys, West Virginia. In January of 1958 a fire destroyed the factory. Roger Howdyshell, who managed the Marble King facility, moved the company to Paden City where it still remains today.
Howdyshell was a very innovative man who left his mark on the marble industry in many ways. He led Marble King to the forefront when he manufactured the first American made Cat's Eye marbles. He also developed a process called "veneering" marbles. In this process, you could use less expensive glass as base glass and put a thin coating on the exterior surface to give the marble color.
An American Legacy...
In 1983, Roger Howdyshell bought Marble King. He had dedicated his life to the industry and truly loved it. He continued to operate the facility until his death in 1991. Today, Beri Fox (his daughter) and a team of valued employees continue Marble King's legacy. Marble King marbles are used in marble games, board games, decorative vases, spray paint cans and other industrial applications. Our marbles have been featured in movies like "Goonies", "Hook", and "Home Alone". Marble King continues to be the leader in marble production shipping its marbles worldwide. Marble King has been recognized on multiple occasions for its Excellence in Exporting.
Marble King has been a contributing sponsor and supporter of The National Marble Tournament since 1968. There are four scholarships are awarded each year at the tournament. For more information about The National Marble Tournament, please visit their website.