▁products ▁produced ▁include ▁to y ▁electric ▁ir ons ▁with ▁iron ing ▁bo ards , ▁electric ▁trains , ▁various ▁small ▁app li ances ▁market ed ▁under ▁the ▁Empire ▁name ▁such ▁as ▁electric ▁corn ▁po ppers ▁and ▁Lady ▁Arist ette ▁hair ▁dry ers . ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁change ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁company ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁with ▁the ▁passing ▁of ▁El mer ▁O . ▁Dr umm ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁since ▁purch asing ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁ ▁El mer ▁was ▁succeeded ▁in ▁August ▁by ▁his ▁son ▁Wes ley ▁C . ▁Dr umm . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁from ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁General ▁Manager . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁firm ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁sales ▁and ▁advert ising ▁manager ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁company ▁reported ▁that ▁sales ▁were ▁up ▁from ▁previous ▁years ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁record ▁year ▁for ▁coffee ▁mak ers . ▁Cont in ued ▁strong ▁growth ▁for ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 4 0 0 ▁s . f . ▁office ▁space ▁addition ▁to ▁their ▁main ▁building ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁an ▁additional ▁office ▁space ▁expansion ▁added ▁another ▁ 3 2 0 0 ▁s . f . ▁ ▁A ▁labor ▁strike ▁by ▁the ▁Al umin um ▁Work ers ▁International ▁Union ▁was ▁started ▁on ▁April ▁