|
Once the patent was granted, everyone using any
form of a Tachon connector now had to purchase licenses from C.D. Wood
Electric in order to incorporate the device into their Christmas
lighting strings. One company, the M. Propp organization, challenged
the patent and lost. Small companies, who chose not to pay for the
license prior to the patent being granted, found themselves strapped
for cash.
The time was right. The Sadacca
Brothers, Albert, Henri and Leon, proposed that a trade organization be
started, whereby any company who wanted to would be able to join,
reducing licensing and advertising costs to everyone. The brothers,
along with Louis Szel were to head up the association, aptly named The
National Outfit Manufacturer's Association, and it was officially
started early in 1925. Accounts of the number of companies who joined
vary from thirteen to fifteen, but I do know that these companies were
involved: The C.D. Wood Electric company, The Triangle Electro Trading
Company, the decorative lighting division of Deal Electric, Franco, the
decorative lighting division of Monowatt and The Henry Hyman Company.
The United States Electric Company, better known as USALITE, joined for
a short time but then broke away. A major holdout was the M. Propp
Company, who continued (for a time, at least) on their own. See also The Morris Propp Story on this site
for more information.
The Association was a great
success. Smaller companies enjoyed the influx of cash brought by
Association membership, and business for the Christmas selling season
of 1925 was very good for everyone. Though the companies were members
of the association under the NOMA name, they continued selling under
their own identities. Late in 1926, it was proposed and accepted by the
association members that they officially merge into one company, and
the famous NOMA Electric Corporation was born. The American Christmas
lighting industry was to be changed forever.
 |
 |
|
Light set from NOMA's
first full year of production, 1927
|
In Christmas of 1927, NOMA
Electric sold products under that new name for the first time.
Aggressively marketed and advertised, the company enjoyed stellar
sales. In 1928, the M. Propp Company finally agreed to merge with NOMA,
and interestingly, Morris Propp, the owner and founder of that company,
became the president of NOMA Electric in 1929. He held that position
until his untimely death of a brain tumor in 1933.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 1927-1928 |
1940 |
1948 |
1955 |
1958 |
| Some examples of NOMA
catalog covers through the years |
The formation of NOMA Electric dramatically
reduced the number of decorative lighting companies in business in
1927. As the market leader, NOMA began to offer a huge variety of
electrical decorative accessories and lighting outfits to the public,
and set the competitive example for other lighting companies to follow.
Through their years of operation, NOMA Electric developed and/or
marketed many "firsts", including the Tri-Plug connector (this differs
from the Tachon devices in that the Tachons are typically found at the end
of the string rather than on the wall plug itself), the adjustable
berry bead fasteners to allow proper positioning of lights on the tree,
intermediate base outfits for outdoor decorating, bubble lights, and
the safety fuse plug (still in use today). Below is a brief timeline of
some of the important events in the history of NOMA Electric
Incorporated:
| YEAR |
EVENT |
| 1925 |
The National Outfit Manufacturer's
Association was formed. This was a trade association only, and not an
official company. |
| 1926 |
The NOMA companies officially merged into a
single company: NOMA Electric Corporation. |
| 1927 |
NOMA Electric Corporation sold products
under its own name for the first time. |
| 1928 |
Offers intermediate base outdoor light set
for the first time as set number 3000: NOMA Multiple Outfit. |
| 1934 |
Offers candelabra based multiple wired
lighting sets for indoor use. |
| 1935 |
Sells the lighted character bells for the
first time. Subjects included the Mickey Mouse characters and the gang
from Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies cartoons. |
| 1940 |
Introduced the plastic halo, a decorative
piece that provided a warm candle flame like glow around a single light
bulb. |
| 1940 |
For the first time, sells an all-rubber
cord with their outdoor lighting set. Even the sockets themselves were
rubber in this outfit. |
| 1940 |
Offers lighted table top trees for the
first time, with individual replaceable lamps on the branches. Earlier
tabletop trees were lit from within by a single lamp. |
| 1941-1945 |
WAR YEARS-NO NEW ITEMS OFFERED |
| 1946 |
Introduces Bubble Lites to the world.
(There are claims that the year might have been 1945, but if true, few
were marketed in that year). |
| 1946 |
Offers the new GE G-14 lamps in sets of
seven as Glo Ray outfits. |
| 1948 |
Changes Bubble Lite base from "biscuit"
shape to "saucer" shape. |
| 1949 |
Reverts to "biscuit" base shape for Bubble
Lites. (Sells through overstock of saucer shaped bubblers as well). |
| 1951 |
Introduces the "Safety Plug" with fuses in
the plug itself, an invention still in use today. |
| 1953 |
"Spins off" and changes the name of the
electrical decorative light division of NOMA Electric Corporation to
NOMA Lites Incorporated. This was done to differentiate their
manufacture of Christmas lights from many other products the company
was making at the time. Opens an additional manufacturing plant in St.
Joseph, Missouri. |
| 1955 |
Introduces the "Safety Socket" to go with
the "Safety Fuse Plug". The sockets have permanent clips, and a
solderless flow-through wire design that prevents loose connections.
The beginnings of the effects of huge amounts of foreign imports are
felt financially. |
| 1961 |
Changes their famous Bubble Lites to a
rocket style due to increasing public awareness of and interest in the
"space race". Imports are now having a serious affect on NOMA. |
| 1962 |
Substantial financial struggling due to
competition from increasing imported, less expensive electrical
Christmas lights and decorations. |
| 1963 |
Stops production of rocket type bubble
lights, and sells Peerless style of bubblers. Company is in severe
financial trouble at this point, and begins selling products from other
bankrupt or out-of-operation Christmas light companies that were
purchased at a discount. |
| 1965 |
Files for bankruptcy. The company will
never again be the super power that it once was. |
| 1965 |
Late in this year, NOMA is reorganized as
Noma Worldwide, Incorporated. Sells mostly imported goods for the 1965
Christmas season. |
| 1967 |
NOMA name is dropped, and company becomes
Worldwide, Incorporated. |
| 1968 |
From this time on, the NOMA name is a
licensed trademark only, and not actually a manufacturer of Christmas
lights. Licensed NOMA products will now have a "?" symbol by the NOMA
name. |
| 1968-Present |
The name has been bought and sold many
times over the years, and is now owned by NOMA International,
Incorporated. The NOMA name for Christmas lights is currently licensed
by Inliten, LLC. |
BACK NEXT
|
