Craftsman Wrenches Madd in Usa Again
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Five years ago, when Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman tool make from Sears, they pledged to focus on USA product.
Here is some of what they said at the time, back in 2017:
We are committed to bringing Craftsman's manufacturing back to the United states, using materials from around the earth…
Stanley Black & Decker volition focus on U.South. manufacturing, using global materials…
Stanley Blackness & Decker too believes it tin can bring innovation and investment back to Craftsman…
They would "leverage MIUSA expansion."
They also said they would leverage existing & aggrandize US manufacturing footprint.
They have certainly leveraged their existing Usa facilities, making utility knives and record measures at Stanley factories, and metal tool boxes at their Waterloo facilities.
Dorsum in 2008, when still a Sears make, Craftsman'south itemize boasted that all of their sockets and wrenches were made in the Us.
All Craftsman sockets and wrenches are proudly made in the Usa.
In 2010, I criticized Sears for turning away from this platonic. By 2012, Sears cancelled their Craftsman Professional lineup.
Stanley Black & Decker relaunched the Craftsman tool make in 2018, and I was extremely excited.
Craftsman launched a new line of 5-series tools in late 2021, and while they're fantastic products that seem largely based on Facom designs, they're not made in the USA.
Three years ago, Stanley Black & Decker appear they would be opening a new tool factory in Texas. There's nothing about this factory in Stanley Black & Decker's recent investor materials.
SBD uses enough of "Made in USA with Global Materials" imagery in their recent annual report, but in that location'due south aught specific about any new domestic production efforts.
There is one teaser image, showing a mechanics tool set up and the suggestion of U.s.-made ratchets.
Tekton recently appear that more than 20% of their entire lineup is now made in the USA. Tekton sought to reinvent themselves eight years ago, and it looks similar they have done exactly that.
Milwaukee Tool caused Empire Level a few years ago, expanding their U.s.a.-based production footprint. Milwaukee is also set to open a Us paw tools factory later this year.
What new Usa-made tools has Craftsman introduced in the past five years? Tape measures and tool storage that leverage existing factories and know-how are great.
But end users want more.
Where are the U.s.-made hammers? Pliers? Professional-grade ratchets? Wrenches?
It has been five years. I expected more.
Aye, things like this take fourth dimension. But Stanley Black & Decker had planned for Craftsman well before they acquired the tool brand.
At one of Stanley Black & Decker's last NYC luncheon media events, maybe in early on 2012 when Sears was already struggling and rumors were already floating around, a journalist asked a marketing executive if the visitor would seek to learn the Craftsman brand. I don't recollect the exact wording, but the presenter made it clear they were watching things closely.
Pregnant, Stanley Black & Decker had plenty of fourth dimension to think about what they would do with the Craftsman make, and then plenty of fourth dimension after the acquisition to put things into motion.
What's on the shelf at Lowe's? Not U.s.a.-fabricated Craftsman wrenches – these were fabricated in India.
Tekton announce what they were going to do, and they did it. At present, they say they'll aggrandize their in-house manufacturing capacity, and I believe they'll exercise it.
Craftsman said they'll focus on USA production. But they have nonetheless to officially announce how, what, or where.
Two years ago, Craftsman teased that select tools would presently be made in Texas. The pandemic disrupted everything, but we still don't know what'due south coming.
My worry is that all we're going to come across are select entry-price sets that mainly announced for major tool-buying holiday shopping seasons.
Lowe's Kobalt brand had Usa-made hand tools a few years ago, but then they switched. When talking to a product director face up to face, they said they weren't satisfied with the quality and switched to an overseas OEM that could produce ameliorate tools.
Don't get me wrong, USA-made mechanics tools are a nifty pace in the right direction.
Merely afterwards five years, Craftsman's claims of bringing tool production back to the USA seem very nether-fulfilled.
I bought USA-made Craftsman hammers, mallets, punches, screwdrivers, wrenches, ratchets, saws, pliers, cutters, tool sets, tool boxes, electrical tools, and more, back when Sears still owned the make and before they ruined it.
I keep hoping that Craftsman could get back to that. Just, I no longer have faith that they volition.
Dewalt offered Us-fabricated screwdrivers, but then they were discontinued. Craftsman's V60 cordless outdoor power tools lineup looks to have disappeared from Lowe'due south and other retailers. Dewalt discontinued their 40V cordless outdoor power tool lineup in 2019.
It seems that Stanley Black & Decker abandons products if massive success isn't assured. Objectively, this is smart.
Craftsman still references V12 tools on their V20 chargers, merely no V12 cordless products e'er launched. I would presume this is considering Stanley Black & Decker doesn't want to dilute the footprint Lowe's gives to Dewalt'due south 12V Max Xtreme tools. (Craftsman and Dewalt are both owned by SBD.)
I actually like Craftsman's Five-serial tools, and maybe there's room here, in this seemingly online-only product line, for USA-made tools.
So, what has Craftsman washed over the past five years to boost The states tool production? What are they going to practice over the next v years?
What do we accept to await forward to? Quarter-pallets of United states of america-made mechanics tool sets that appear at Lowe'southward twice a twelvemonth for Father's Solar day and the winter holidays?
I expected them to practice and then much by now, and am disappointed at what I'm not seeing.
Source: https://toolguyd.com/craftsmans-usa-made-tools-2022/
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