Stanley

Stanley tools are a world renowned tool manufacturer known for being the top of the range for both the construction and do-it-yourself markets.  Recognisable by their black and yellow branding they set the standard for high quality design and construction.

However, regardless of how recognisable their brand is in this day and age their journey to become the business they are today was a complicated one.  Starting as two separate businesses owned by the Stanley family - the Bolt Manufactory founded in 1843 by Frederick and the Rule and Level Company founded in 1857 by cousin Henry, it wasn’t until 1920 that the two family businesses went through the merger to become the company they are today.

But it doesn’t end there.  In 2010 this company and power tool manufacturing giant Black & Decker went through a historic merger that saw both companies join to form Stanley Black & Decker the new power tool superpower.

After the merger the final gap in their hardware division was filled which includes brands/businesses/acquisitions:
•  Pfister
•  DeWalt
•  Bostitch
•  Proto
•  Mac Tools
•  Precision
•  Emhart Teknologies
•  Sidchrome
•  National Hardware
•  Vidmar
•  Virax
•  Baldwin

With a total 36,000 employees and a revenue of over $10 Billion dollars for 2011’s financial year the merger saw the company expand and further cement themselves as the leader in both the domestic and commercial hand tool market.

Not only did Stanley have a reputation in the quality of their hand tools but Black & Decker brought over 100 years of hand tool construction to the table when the merger went through, not to mention their significant advantages in the power tool industry with a long history of being a leader in the field.  They actually placed the world’s first patent for a portable drill which become one of the most widely used construction pieces to date.