The story of the Onward Manufacturing Company from Kitchener is a classic example of a company that innovates through adaptability.
The company was founded in 1904 by Theodore Witzel as the Rite-Away Pen Company, manufacturing fountain pens. In 1906 it ended production of pens and became the first company in Canada to manufacture vacuum cleaners under the names Onward and Triumph. Eventually the company became the manufacturer of the Eureka vacuum cleaner.
