Archive · 15 Jan 2026
Crane Stationery Faces Engraver Shortage Despite AI
Crane Stationery, a very old company, is having trouble finding enough people to learn how to be engravers.
These engravers make special cards and invitations by hand, which is a very precise and difficult job.
The company has only 12 engravers left, and it's hard to train new ones because the work is tough and takes a long time.
The pay isn't very high either, even though the skills are special and can't be done by machines.
The CEO is trying to make things better by raising wages and improving benefits, but it's still a challenge to find enough people who want to learn this craft.
Crane Stationery, a 200-year-old company, is struggling to find enough skilled engravers.
Only 12 engravers remain, with at least one set to retire this year.
The training process is intense and can take at least a year, with a high dropout rate.
Wages for new apprentices start at $18.50 per hour, with senior engravers seeing a 22% wage increase.
The company had to cut off holiday sales early due to a lack of engravers to fill orders.
- Who
- Crane Stationery, a 200-year-old company, and its engravers
- What
- A shortage of skilled engravers due to difficulty in attracting and training new workers
- When
- Ongoing, with a recent move to a new facility in 2024
- Where
- Latham, N.Y.
- Why
- The highly skilled and precise nature of the craft, along with challenges in training and wages
- Company
- Crane Stationery
- Location
- Latham, N.Y.
- Current Engravers
- 12
- Total Engravers in U.S.
- 300
- Apprentice Starting Wage
- $18.50/hour
- Senior Engraver Wage Increase
- 22%
- Training Duration
- At least 1 year
- CEO
- Robert Buhler