Power Tool Manufacturers and Who Really Owns Them

Have you ever wondered who owns Craftsman tools? How about Milwaukee, Mac Tools, or Skilaw? It may surprise you to know that only a handful of power tool manufacturers own your favorite tools. That’s right, most tool brands come under a parent company that also controls other power tool manufacturers and brands. We’ll break it down for you … with charts!


Note: The cordless power tools RIDGID and RYOBI are licensed by TTI.

We did not include every tool manufacturer in this picture. To be honest, we couldn’t fit everyone on the site. However, below we will do our best to include as many parent companies of the tool brands as possible. It makes the most sense to start with some of the largest.

Yes, Craftsman and DeWalt are owned by Stanley Black & Decker &

Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) made a splash when it bought Craftsman Tools in 2017 after Sears closed 235 stores in 2015. However, the company owns many brands. The company dates back to 1843 with a man named Frederick Stanley and quickly established its roots. In 2010, it merged with another company that started in 1910 – Black and Decker. As of 2017, the company has a $ 7.5 billion business in Tools & Storage alone. SBD brands include:

  • DeWalt
  • Stanley
  • Black + Decker
  • Bostitch
  • Craftsman
  • Vidmar
  • Mac tools
  • Irwin
  • Lenox
  • Proto
  • Porter cable
  • Strength fasteners
  • ready
  • Sidchrom
  • Emglo
  • one

TTI Techtronics Industry

It turns out that TTI owns Milwaukee Tool and a host of other power tool manufacturers. It also licenses the names RIDGID * and RYOBI for cordless power tools (Emerson owns RIDGID). TTI stands for Techtronic Industries Company Limited (TTI Group). Founded in Hong Kong in 1985, TTI sells tools worldwide and employs over 22,000 people. TTI is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and had annual sales of over US $ 6 billion worldwide in 2017. The brands include:

  • Milwaukee Electric Tool Co.
  • RYOBI – licensed
  • RIDGID (“Orange”) – Licensed from Emerson
  • Imperial level
  • vacuum cleaner
  • Dirt devil
  • Oreck
  • Stiletto tools
  • Hart tools
  • Family life
  • WAX
  • TIME

* In general, Emerson makes “red” RIDGID (plumbing) tools. TTI produces RIDGID tools under license “Orange”.

Wait a minute, I thought Bosch owned Skill?

Chervon North America

No more. In 2017, Chervon acquired Skil Power Tool Brands from Bosch. This means that two major brands have been added to their portfolio: Skilaw and Skil. Chervon started its power tools business in 1993 and launched the EGO brand for wireless outdoor electrical devices on the market in 2013. In 2018 the company renamed Skil (including the logo) and announced new 12 V and 20 V cordless power tools. Today Chervon tools and products are sold in more than 30,000 stores in 65 countries. Chervon makes the following brands:

  • EGO
  • Ski saw
  • Understand
  • TO BEND
  • Devon
  • Xtron
  • Calmdura
  • Cobalt 24V (ODM for Lowe’s)

Initially, Bosch Tools only represents part of the Bosch Group, which includes Robert Bosch GmbH and over 350 subsidiaries in over 60 countries. In 2003, Robert Bosch GmbH merged its North American power tools and power tool accessories business units into one organization and founded the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation in North America. The company develops, produces and sells power tools, rotary and oscillation tools, power tool accessories, laser and optical leveling devices, and range finders worldwide. Bosch also produces the following tools:

  • Bosch
  • Freud
  • Diablo
  • Dremel
  • RotoZip
  • Vermont American
  • CST / berger

Brands of the Husqvarna group

the who owns who of the Husqvarna Group

The Husqvarna Group manufactures chainsaws, trimmers, robotic lawnmowers and ride-on lawnmowers. The group also makes garden irrigation products, as well as cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries. They are represented in more than 100 countries and employ over 13,000 people in 40 countries. The Husqvarna Group also has the following tools:

  • Husqvarna
  • Poulan Pro
  • Weed eaters
  • Jonsored
  • Klippo
  • Zenoah
  • Val Gardena
  • Diamond border
  • Flymo
  • McCullock

JPW Industries – Jet Powermatic Wilton

the who owns who of JPW Industries

JPW owns several major brands including Jet, Powermatic, and Wilton. The company is headquartered in La Vergne, Tennessee, but also operates in Switzerland, Germany, Russia, France, Taiwan and China. They sell products in 20 countries around the world. Their tool brands include:

  • jet
  • Powermatic
  • Wilton
  • Edwards
  • Promac
  • Tool clearance
  • GYS

Apex Tool Group who owns?

The Apex Tool Group is headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, USA and employs more than 8,000 people. They operate in more than 30 countries in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Annual revenue from sales of hand tools, power tools, and electronics tools for the industrial, automotive, aerospace, and home improvement markets exceeds $ 1.4 billion. The following tool manufacturers belong to the APEX Tool Group:

  • Weller
  • Knowledge
  • Gear wrench
  • Crescent moon
  • Lufkin
  • Job box
  • apex
  • Campbell
  • Nicholson
  • Jacobs
  • Xcelite
  • Master power
  • Belzer
  • HKP
  • SATA
  • Dotco
  • Cleco
  • Armstrong (as of 2017)
  • Allen (closed in 2017)

Emerson

Emerson

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Emerson controls the manufacturers and products of power tools in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors. While TTI licenses the RIDGID name for power tools, Emerson controls the following tools (among others):

  • RIDGID (“Red”)
  • Greenlee
  • Insinkerator
  • Emerson
  • Sensi
  • Professional team
  • Klauke

TTS Tooltechnic Systems AG & Co. KG

TTS or Tooltechnic Systems based in Wendlingen owns Festool (electrical and pneumatic tools), Tanos (not to be confused with the guy who destroyed half the universe), Narex, Sawstop and now Shaper Tools. TTS is really behind the scenes as it doesn’t really seem to have its own website (at least not in the US) or an official logo. In bullet point format, the subsidiaries include:


  • Festool
  • Tanos
  • Narex
  • Saw stop
  • Forming tools

Yamabiko

Yamabiko

Yamabiko Corporation was founded in 2008 and has three core business segments: Outdoor Power Equipment, Agricultural Machinery and Industrial Machinery. Yamabiko, based in Japan, is a global company with major markets in Japan and North America and a growing presence in Europe and Asia. Tool brands include:

KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP)

KKR Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

KKR manages private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and more. In 2017, KKR acquired Hitachi Koki. Hitachi had previously bought Metabo. Now KKR owns the following:

  • Hikoki (formerly Hitachi Koki)
  • Metabo HPT (formerly Hitachi Power Tools)
  • Metabo

Fortive

Fortive

Washington-based Fortive, a diversified industrial growth company, spans a variety of professional instrumentation and industrial technology businesses. Fortive employs over 22,000 people in more than 50 countries worldwide. Its numerous brands include the following tool manufacturers:

  • fluke
  • Matco tools
  • Tektronix
  • Keithley

Werner Co

WernerCo leader company

WernerCo produces and sells ladders, climbing equipment and ladder accessories under various brands. They also manufacture and sell fall protection products and storage equipment for construction sites, trucks and vans. The complete line-up includes:

  • Werner
  • Knaack
  • Weather guard
  • basement, cellar
  • Green bull

ITW (Illinois Tool Works)

who owns who of ITW Illinois Tool Works

Established over 100 years ago, ITW manufactures specialized industrial equipment, power tools, hand tools and consumables. ITW operates in 57 countries with over 50,000 employees. They also have more than 17,000 issued and pending patents. ITW brands include:

  • Paslode
  • Duo fast
  • Ramset
  • Red head
  • Tapcon
  • Bernhard
  • Müller
  • Hobart
  • Tregaskiss
  • ITW Buildex
  • Texwipe
  • Takes part
  • Alpine, an ITW company

Ideal industries

who owns who from Ideal Industries

In 1916, J. Walter Becker apparently founded the IDEAL Commutator Dresser Company of Chicago from his mother’s kitchen. More than 100 years later, Ideal Industries serves technicians and workers around the world. They serve the electrical, construction, aerospace, and even automotive markets. You likely recognize several of their brands:

  • Ideal electrics
  • Cree lighting
  • Anderson Power products
  • box
  • CMD
  • Enatel
  • Professional SK tools
  • Audacy Wireless (brought under Cree Lighting)

Sunrise global marketing

Sunrise Global Marketing manufactures Greenworks and Greenworks Pro tools.

Positec group

Positec started in 1994 as an OEM manufacturer. You now own the Rockwell and WORX brands.

Who makes Harbor Freight Power Tools remains a mystery – possibly because they may have changed suppliers in the past. Some have suggested that LuTool, a company founded in June 1999, supply its power tools. LuTool is headquartered in Ningbo, China and has a North American office in Ontario, Canada. LuTool is owned by Gemay (Ningbo Gemay Industry Co Ltd), headquartered in Ningbo, China.

In order not to outperform, others have suggested Powerplus as manufacturers of the Drill Master, Warrior, Bauer and Hercules tool lines. Powerplus is a division of the European company Varo, headquartered in Belgium.

We wish we could give a definitive answer, but Harbor Freight has remained narrow-minded about its power tool manufacturing partners.

What about Hilti and Makita?

Hilti and Makita are just Hilti and Makita. Hilti has no subsidiaries under itself or a parent company above. Makita, on the other hand, acquired the Dolmar brand, thereby strengthening its already impressive range of outdoor power tools. The market share each of these companies has is pretty impressive!

Who makes house brands in big box stores?

We can’t skip the popular private labels available at these major retailers and hardware stores. Note that many (if not all) of the brands listed below are ODM or OEM solutions. This means that the tools are specified by the store, but executed by a different manufacturer. In other scenarios, tools are “offered” to a retailer and then manufactured in bulk after accepting a buyer’s order.

Home Depot house brands

  • Husky (Stanley Black & Decker, Western Forge, Apex Tool Group, Iron Bridge Tools and others)
  • HDX

Lowe’s house brands

  • Cobalt Tools (24V power tools) from Chervon
  • Kobalt Tools (outdoor power tools) from Greenworks
  • Blue Hawk (various OEM)

Menard’s house brands

  • Masterforce (various OEM)
  • Grab it fast?
  • Plantina?
  • Tool shop?

While you might have thought you knew who owned all of these power tool manufacturers, consolidation has changed the playing field. Stanley Black & Decker has by far the largest buyout pattern. Companies like TTI, Apex Tool Group, ITW and others are also looking forward to increasing their numbers.

If we missed a merger or tool acquisition, please leave a comment below. We want to keep this article up to date – a much more difficult task than we ever imagined! You are also welcome to reach us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

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