Ideal Industries
Privately owned | |
Industry | Manufacturing |
Founded | 1916 in Chicago, Illinois |
Founder | J. Walter Becker |
Headquarters | Sycamore, Illinois |
Products | Connectors, hand tools, testers, meters |
Website | www.idealindustries.com |
Ideal Industries is an American company that produces connectors, hand tools, testers, and meters for the electrical and telecommunications industries.[1]
The company manufactures many of its products in the United States.[2] It also owns Western Forge and Pratt-Read, the largest– and second-largest American-made producers of screwdrivers respectively at the time of their acquisitions.[3]
It is a competitor to Klein Tools, and its tools are sold at Lowe's and Ace Hardware stores as well as many independent distributors.[4]
History
Ideal was founded in 1916 by J. Walter Becker as the Ideal Commutator Dresser Company in Chicago, Illinois, manufacturing commutator dresser stones.[5] In 1924, Becker relocated the company to its current location in Sycamore, Illinois.[6] By 1949, it had become the United States' leading producer of wire nuts.[7]
In 2010, Ideal acquired three American hand tool manufacturers: Western Forge in January,[8][9] Pratt-Read in March,[10][11] and SK Hand Tools in August.[12][13][14]
Gallery
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Speed screwdrivers.
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Multi-bit screwdriver and F connector tool.
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A 75' steel fish tape.
See also
References
- ↑ Ideal Industries. "About Us". Retrieved 2010-03-26.
- ↑ McCrea, Bridget (2012-10-24). "Tapping into the power of Made in the USA". The Electrical Distributor Magazine. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ↑ Varnon, Rob (2010-06-25). "Workers hope for aid in closing". The Advocate. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ↑ Murphy, H. Lee (1996-07-08). "Pliers Poker". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ↑ Ideal Industries. "Company History". Retrieved 2010-03-26.
- ↑ Ideal Industries. "Recruiting brochure" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-03-27.
- ↑ "Wire Nuts for Radio City". Kiplinger's Personal Finance. December 1949. p. 36.
- ↑ Heilman, Wayne (2010-01-04). "Western Forge to be sold to Ideal Industries". The Gazette. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ↑ Heilman, Wayne (2010-01-05). "New owners to pump millions into Western Forge". The Gazette. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ↑ "IDEAL Acquires Tool Manufacturer Pratt-Read" (Press release). Ideal Industries. 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ↑ "Ideal Industries Acquires Pratt-Read to Add Hand-Tool Lines and Made-in-U.S. Capacity". Electrical Marketing. 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
- ↑ Yue, Lorene (2010-08-23). "SK Hand Tool assets sold to Ideal Industries". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ↑ "IDEAL Acquires Premier Tool Manufacturer SK Hand Tools" (Press release). Ideal Industries. 2010-08-23. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ↑ Deutsch, Stuart (2010-08-23). "It's Official – Ideal Industries Purchases SK Hand Tools!". ToolGuyd. Retrieved 2014-01-16.