Gallery
An Easco ratchet.
An Easco spinner handle.
| Company type | Privately owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Fate | Acquired by Danaher Corporation |
| Headquarters | Hunt Valley, Maryland |
| Products | Hand tools |
Easco Hand Tools was an American manufacturer of hand tools. It is best known for being the main supplier of mechanic's tools for the Craftsman brand. Its tools were also sold under the Allen and KD Tools brands after its acquisition by Danaher Corporation. The brand name was gradually phased out by Danaher.
The company began as Moore Drop Forging Company in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1900 [1] or 1901. [2] In 1938 Moore became a vendor for Sears Roebuck. [1] In 1967, Moore Drop Forging was acquired by Eastern Stainless Steel Corporation, a manufacturer of stainless and specialty steel. Easco continued the Craftsman contract with Sears. By 1969, the parent company was known as Easco Corporation. [1] Tools made by MDF for Sears have a "V" maker's mark on them, those by Danaher had a "V^" (V and upside down V, sometimes a right-side up V). Variations of the "VV" exist including three digit codes on tools such as ratchets. It is believed that these denote the time frame of manufacture, as well as the plant that made them. "V" typically meant the tool was made in the Springfield, MA plant, "VV" typically meant it was made in the Springdale, AR plant and "G" meant it was made in the Gastonia, NC plant. This has been confirmed with various plant employees who worked at these facilities.
In 1985, Easco Corporation was acquired via a hostile takeover by Equity Group Holdings, controlled by the investment brothers Steven Rales and Mitchell Rales and taken private. The hand tools division of the company was taken public, and the other divisions were sold to an investment group including Citicorp Venture Capital. [3] In 1990, the hand tool company was acquired by the brothers' Danaher Corporation. [4] This acquisition made the tools division the largest part of Danaher. [5] In 1991, Sears selected Danaher to be the exclusive supplier of Craftsman mechanic's tools. [6]
In 2010, Danaher merged its tools division with Cooper Tools to form Apex Tool Group. In 2013, Apex closed the Gastonia, North Carolina plant where Easco manufactured sockets since 1978. [7]
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., formerly known as The Stanley Works, is a Fortune 500 American manufacturer of industrial tools and household hardware, and a provider of security products. Headquartered in the Greater Hartford city of New Britain, Connecticut, Stanley Black & Decker is the result of the merger of The Stanley Works and Black & Decker on March 12, 2010.
Craftsman is a line of tools, lawn and garden equipment, and work wear. Originally a house brand established by Sears, the brand is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker.
Danaher Corporation is an American global conglomerate founded in 1984 by brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the company designs, manufactures, and markets medical, industrial, and commercial products and services. Danaher was among the first companies in North America to adopt Kaizen principles, a Japanese lean manufacturing philosophy of continuous improvement and efficiency. The company held $78.5 billion in assets as of 2024.
Modern Tool & Die, sometimes referred to as Michigan Tool & Die Company or MTD Products is an American manufacturer of outdoor power equipment for the mass market. Headquartered in Valley City, Ohio, the company began in 1932 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker. Prior to Stanley Black & Decker's acquisition in December 2021, MTD Products was a majority family-owned, private company. It originated as a tool and die maker MTD's main competitors are Ariens, Briggs & Stratton, Husqvarna, John Deere, Stiga, Stihl, and The Toro Company.
SK Hand Tools is a tool company located in Sycamore, Illinois. It sold out to Hangzhou GreatStar Industrial, a Chinese tool company. Major products of the once fully-USA-manufacturing company include sockets and drive tools, wrenches, air tools, and other mechanics' tools. The company has a tool line of over 3,500 items including wrenches, ratchets, screwdrivers, tool boxes and air tools. It has manufacturing facilities in China, Taiwan, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Sycamore, Illinois. Outlets for their products include independent tool-truck dealers, auto parts stores, and major internet vendors such as Sears and Amazon.com.
Steven M. Rales is an American businessman and film producer. He founded Danaher Corporation with his brother Mitchell Rales in 1984 and is chairman of the board. Rales also founded the film production company Indian Paintbrush in 2006, which works closely with filmmaker Wes Anderson. His work with Anderson has earned him three Academy Award nominations, winning Best Live Action Short Film for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023). Rales also owns the media distribution companies Janus Films and The Criterion Collection and owns a 20% stake in the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Indiana Pacers.
Husky is a line of hand tools, pneumatic tools, and tool storage products. Though founded in 1924, it is now best known as the house brand of The Home Depot, where it is exclusively sold. Its hand tools are manufactured for Home Depot by Western Forge, Apex Tool Group, and Iron Bridge Tools. Its slogan is "The toughest name in tools." Home Depot also carries a higher end line of tools marked Husky Pro.
Apex Tool Group is an American supplier of hand tools and power tools. It was formed as a joint venture of Cooper Industries and Danaher by the merger of Cooper Tools and Danaher's Tools and Components segment. In October 2012, Danaher and Cooper sold Apex to Bain Capital for about $1.6 billion. Apex is headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, and has over 20 factories globally including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, China, and South America.
Proto Tools is an American industrial hand tool company. Founded as Plomb, it is presently a division of Stanley Black & Decker. The company is credited with creating the first combination wrench in 1933.
Crescent is a brand of hand tools. It originated with the Crescent Tool Company, founded in 1907. The Crescent brand has changed ownership multiple times. It is currently owned by Apex Tool Group, LLC of Sparks, Maryland as part of its Hand Tools division. It is best known for its style of adjustable wrench.
Kobalt is a line of hand and mechanics' tools, power tools, and tool storage products owned by the American home improvement chain Lowe's. It is the house brand for both Lowe's in North America and their joint venture with the now defunct Masters Home Improvement in Australia.
Armstrong Tools was an American industrial hand tool manufacturer. In its final years, it existed as a brand of Apex Tool Group, LLC and manufactured the majority of its tools in the United States, focusing mostly on aerospace, government, and military users.
Blackhawk is an American brand of hand tools. It is currently a sub-brand of the Proto division of the Stanley Black & Decker.
Western Forge was an American manufacturing company. The company manufactured hand tools that were sold under other brands, including private-label brands such as Craftsman and Husky. It was a subsidiary of Ideal Industries.
New Britain Machine Company was a tool company that was headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut. The company started to sell sockets and drive tools. New Britain was the main supplier for NAPA tools until its closure in 1990. New Britain Machine owned Husky and Blackhawk tools as well as making its own economy-grade tools under the None Better and Mustang names. New Britain Machine was then acquired by the Litton Tool Company on December 22, 1972.
Allen is a brand of hand tools, most widely recognized for its wrenches, known generically as "Allen wrenches". As a brand, it is owned by Apex Tool Group.
Chicago Pneumatic, also known as "CP", is an industrial manufacturer providing power tools, air compressors, generators, light towers and hydraulic equipment. Products are sold in more than 150 countries through a worldwide distribution network. CP is active on markets such as tools for industrial production, vehicle service, maintenance repair operation for mining, construction, infrastructure equipment.
The North Brothers Manufacturing Company was an American manufacturer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that specialized in the making of hand tools, small appliances and some specialized power tools. They were family owned and operated for over 60 years before being acquired by the Stanley Works in 1946. They are probably most well known for their line of tools, particularly the "Yankee" brand of ratcheting screwdrivers.
Snap-on Industrial Brands, historically J.H. Williams Tool Group, is a division of American hand tool manufacturer Snap-on that makes and distributes tools to industrial markets. In addition to the Williams brand from which it originated, the group includes Bahco and CDI Torque Products.
Plumb is a brand of hand tools owned by Apex Tool Group. The brand is known for its hammers and hatchets.