Oregon Tool

Last updated
Oregon Tool, Inc.
Type Private
Founded1947 in Portland, Oregon
HeadquartersPortland, Oregon, U.S.
Key people
  • Paul Tonnesen (CEO)
  • Joseph Buford Cox (founder)
ProductsForestry, agriculture, and construction products
Website www.oregontool.com

Oregon Tool, Inc. is an American company that manufactures saw chain and other equipment for the forestry, agriculture, and construction industries. Based in Portland, Oregon, Oregon Tool globally manufactures their products in ten different plants across five countries. Oregon Tool produces and markets saw chain, chain saw bars and sprockets, battery operated lawn and garden equipment, lawn mower blades, string trimmer line, concrete cutting saws and chain, and agricultural cutting equipment for OEMs, dealers, and end-user markets. Oregon Tool employs approximately 3,300 people across the world in 17 global locations.

Contents

History

Joseph Buford Cox founded the Oregon Saw Chain Company in 1947. [1] An avid inventor, Cox designed the modern saw chain after witnessing a timber beetle larvae chewing through some timber in a Pacific Northwest forest. The saw chain he ultimately created serves as the foundation for the modern chipper chain design, and influenced other forms of modern saw chain design. Known as Biomimetics, Cox solved a complex problem by taking inspiration from nature. After experimenting with casting techniques, Cox later founded Precision Castparts Corp.

In 1953, John D. Gray acquired the company and changed the name to Omark Industries. [2] In the 1980s, Omark began researching and adopting just-in-time manufacturing processes. [3] By visiting factories in Japan, Omark studied examples of lean manufacturing. [4] The concepts kept the saw chain products viable in the export market during a period with a strong dollar. [5] In 1985, Omark Industries was purchased by Blount Industries, Inc. and its founder, Winton M. Blount. [6]

In 1993, Blount Industries, Inc. was renamed Blount International, Inc., and shifted its focus from construction to manufacturing. In 1997, Blount purchased Frederick Manufacturing Corp. of Kansas City, Missouri and added lawnmower blades and garden products to its portfolio. In 1999, Blount was acquired by Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking. [7] In 2002, Blount's corporate headquarters moved from Montgomery, Alabama, to Portland, Oregon. In 2004, it changed its NYSE symbol to BLT, which remained the company's ticker symbol until 2015.

On December 10, 2015, Blount announced that it would be taken private by American Securities and P2 Capital Partners in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $855 million, or $10 a share in cash. [8]

On June 3, 2020, Paul Tonnesen was appointed chief executive officer.

On May 10, 2021, Blount Inc. unveiled a new corporate name that positions it for growth while honoring its heritage: Oregon Tool. The shift from Blount, Inc. to Oregon Tool became effective June 2, 2021. [9]

On June 2, 2021, Blount Inc officially became Oregon Tool, Inc.

On July 14, 2021, American Securities and P2 Capital Partners announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Platinum Equity will acquire Oregon Tool. [10]

On October 18, 2021, Platinum Equity announced that the acquisition of Oregon Tool had been completed. [11]

Products and brands

Oregon saw chains SawchainsOr.JPG
Oregon saw chains

The company manufactures a variety of products for the chainsaw, agriculture, forestry, and construction industries. Oregon Tool manufactures, markets, and distributes products primarily under two hero brands: Oregon and Woods Equipment. Further brands under Oregon Tool include Carlton, Kox, Speeco, Merit, and Pentruder.

In November 2022, Epiroc acquired Wain-Roy from Oregon Tool. [12]

Oregon products

Oregon Tool is the largest manufacturer of saw chain in the world, with the Oregon brand holding the title of #1 saw chain in the world. Saw chain sold under the Oregon brand is sold to OEMs, dealers, and direct-to-consumer. Other products sold under the Oregon brand include: chain saw bar, sprocket, lawn mower blades, and string trimmer string. In addition, the Oregon brand sells several battery-powered and corded electric lawn and garden tools aimed at DIY consumers. These products include lawn mowers, chainsaws, string trimmers, and leaf blowers.

ICS was rebranded Oregon in October 2022. [13]

Woods equipment

Woods is the inventor of the first tractor-mounted rotary cutter. Over the years, innovations and upgrades in the design evolved and led to the creation of The Batwing. The Batwing name is derived from the folding motion of the cutting decks as they are brought into their transportation position. This design allows for a wide cutting path while also allowing for easy transportation.

Oregon Construction

Oregon, formally ICS, is a pioneering force in the concrete-cutting industry. As most concrete cutters are of the circular style, Oregon develops, markets, and distributes an abrasive style concrete cutting system. This allows users to cut irregular shapes, conduct plunge cuts, and attempt other forms of cutting that are not physically possible with circular cutters. In addition, the abrasive cutting system is safer and has been proven to reduce kickback over circular style cutters. [14]

ICS was rebranded Oregon in October 2022. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power tool</span> Tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than by hand alone

A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used. Tools directly driven by animal power are not generally considered power tools.

Joseph Buford Cox, was an American inventor and businessman. He invented what is now known as the chipper type chain for chain saws. He based his design on the C-shaped jaws of the larva of the timberman beetle. Cox watched the destructive larvae of the timber beetle for many hours. The beetle's cutting action was left and right, side to side, rather than scratching or burrowing straight ahead. Cox adapted this concept to a new chain saw of his own design put into production during the late 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">String trimmer</span> Garden tool for trimming grass or groundcover with a flexible line instead of a blade

A string trimmer, also known by the portmanteau strimmer and the trademarks Weedwacker, Weed Eater and Whipper Snipper, is a garden tool for cutting grass, small weeds, and groundcover. It uses a whirling monofilament line instead of a blade, which protrudes from a rotating spindle at the end of a long shaft topped by a gasoline engine or electric motor.

Poulan is a brand name of the Swedish manufacturer Husqvarna AB.

Johnson Electric (德昌電機控股有限公司) is a provider of motors, actuators, motion subsystems and related electro-mechanical components for automotive, industrial and medical applications. Johnson Electric has manufacturing facilities in 22 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Toro Company</span> American manufacturing company

The Toro Company is an American company based in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota that designs, manufactures, and markets lawn mowers, snow blowers, and irrigation system supplies for commercial and residential, agricultural, and public sector uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTD Holdings</span> American manufacturer of outdoor power equipment

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 Stihl, Ariens, Briggs & Stratton, John Deere and Husqvarna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stihl</span> German manufacturer of handheld power equipment

Stihl is a German manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment including trimmers and blowers. Their headquarters are in Waiblingen, Baden-Württemberg, near Stuttgart, Germany. Stihl was founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, an important innovator in early chain saw production. Stihl claims to be the world's best-selling brand of chain saws, and the only chain saw manufacturer to make its own saw chains and guide bars. Andreas Stihl AG is a privately held company owned by the descendants of Andreas Stihl. Stihl operates the Stihl Timbersports Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeWalt</span> Tool company

DeWalt Industrial Tool Company is an American worldwide manufacturer of power tools and hand tools for the construction, manufacturing and woodworking industries, as well as home craftspeople. DeWalt is a registered trademark of Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc., a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker.

Kennametal is an American supplier of tooling and industrial materials founded in 1938 by Philip M. McKenna in the Latrobe, Pennsylvania, area.

The Husqvarna Group is a Swedish manufacturer of outdoor power products including robotic lawn mowers, chainsaws, trimmers, brushcutters, cultivators, and garden tractors. Founded as a firearms manufacturer in 1689, it is one of the oldest continuously running companies in the world. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the group also produces consumer watering products under the brand Gardena, cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victa</span>

Victa is an Australian manufacturer of outdoor garden equipment, including petrol and electric lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, and chainsaws. They manufacture these in petrol and battery-powered variants. However, Victa is best known as a manufacturer of rotary lawn mowers.

Snapper, Inc. was an American company, formerly based in McDonough, Georgia, that manufactured residential and professional lawn-care and snow-removal equipment. Snapper was known for its high-quality red "rear-engine" riding lawnmowers that are capable of standing on-end for storage or repairs, and for its invention of the first self-propelled rotary lawn mower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelite Corporation</span> American power equipment manufacturing company

Homelite Corporation is an American power equipment manufacturer, i.e., that became notable for being one of the largest post-World War II manufacturers of portable electrical generators and professional and consumer level chainsaws, as well as holding the distinction of producing the world's first one-man operated chainsaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WORX</span> Brand of lawn and garden equipment

Worx, is a line of lawn and garden equipment and power tools owned and distributed by the Positec Tool Corporation, a manufacturing company based in Suzhou, China, with North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. The brand is known primarily for its lawn and garden tools like trimmers, lawn mowers, and chainsaws. In North America, Worxproducts can be found at numerous major retailers including Lowe's, Walmart, The Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and Costco. The brand is also sold on other continents, such as in Europe.

Bettcher Industries, Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of cutting tools used in food processing operations and industrial applications. The company, often referred to as just Bettcher, manufactured the first mechanically powered hand-held meat trimmer in 1954. Since then, the company has introduced successive design generations of trimmers which are sold under the Whizard® and Bettcher Quantum® brand names and are used in meat processing plants in the United States and more than 50 other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atco (British mower company)</span>

Atco (Atlas Chain Company) Limited was a British mower company which traded as "Atco Ltd" from 1981 to 1990, making lawn mowers and garden tools. It sold a range of lawn mowers including lawn and garden tractors.

The Positec Tool Corporation, or simply Positec, is a manufacturing company that specializes in the production of power tools and lawn and garden equipment. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Suzhou, China and the head of its North American division is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Positec is known for its production of the Rockwell Tools, WORX and Kress brands which can be found in retailers like Lowe's, The Home Depot, Costco, and Walmart.

MPF Industry Group is a Hungarian-owned multinational manufacturing company with investments in East-Central Europe and in the Far East. The company headquarter is in Singapore with European Union and the United States as its major markets. According to Forbes magazine, it is the second-biggest Hungarian-owned family business. MPF Industry Group is featured in 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe published by the London Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brushcutter (garden tool)</span> Powered garden tool

A brushcutter is a powered garden or agricultural tool used to trim weeds, small trees, and other foliage not accessible by a lawn mower or rotary mower. Various blades or trimmer heads can be attached to the machine for specific applications.

References

  1. Blount International. Retrieved on July 22, 2015.
  2. "John Gray, the Quiet Lion, Dies at 93". Willamette Week. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  3. Cuff, D. F. (1984, Sep 24). Market place; Omark trying new methods. New York Times
  4. STEVE LOHR, Special to The New York Times. (1983, Jun 04). HUNTING FOR LESSONS IN JAPAN. New York Times
  5. Waters, C. R. (1984, 03). Why everybody's talking about just-in-time. Inc, 6, 77.
  6. "Omark-Blount Merger Set Omark Industries, a leading". The New York Times. 1984-11-28. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  7. Blount to be bought by Lehman partnership. (1999, Apr 20). New York Times
  8. Inc., Blount International (10 December 2015). "Blount Enters Into Agreement to be Acquired by American Securities and P2 Capital Partners" (Press release).{{cite press release}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. Inc., Blount International. "BLOUNT, INC. REBRANDS AS OREGON TOOL".{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. Tool, Oregon. "Platinum Equity To Acquire Oregon Tool From American Securities And P2 Capital Partners". Blue Mountain Eagle. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  11. Equity, Platinum. "Platinum Equity Acquires Oregon Tool". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  12. "Sweden's Epiroc completes acquisition of US-based Wain Roy". miningdigital.com. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  13. "ICS® Diamond Tools and Equipment Is Rebranding to Oregon®". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  14. Burcat, Steven; Yue, Brian; Slocum, Alexander; Cohen, Tal (2020-05-18). "Investigation of abrasive saw kickback". International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. 28 (1): 289–304. doi: 10.1080/10803548.2020.1770529 . ISSN   1080-3548. PMID   32419641. S2CID   218679268.
  15. "ICS® Diamond Tools and Equipment Is Rebranding to Oregon®". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.