Black+Decker is an American manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, home appliances, and fastening systems, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, north of Baltimore, where the company was originally established in 1910. In March 2010, Black & Decker merged with Stanley Works to become Stanley Black & Decker.[3][4] It remains a wholly owned subsidiary of that company.
History
1910–1974
- 1910 – "The Black & Decker Manufacturing Company" was founded by S. Duncan Black (1883–1951) and Alonzo G. Decker (1884–1956) as a small machine shop in Baltimore in September. Decker, who had only a seventh grade education, had met Black in 1906, when they were both 23-year-old workers at the Rowland Telegraph Company. With only $1,200 between them, one of their first jobs was designing machinery for making milk bottle caps and candy dipping.[5]
- 1912 – The Black and Decker "Hexagon" logo symbol was introduced, symbolizing the head of a hexagonal bolt found in machine shops. It was used in one form or another from 1912 to 2014.[6]
- 1917 – Black & Decker invented and patented the hand-held electric drill with a pistol grip and trigger switch.[3][7]
- –– For many decades the director of design was Glenn Calvin Wilhide, a friend of Walter Gropius and other industrial designers of the day. Wilhide filed many US patents for Black & Decker.[8]
- 1917 – The first factory was opened in Towson, Maryland.
- 1919 – Company reaches $1,000,000 in sales.
- 1928 – Acquired the Van Dorn Electric Tool Company of Cleveland, Ohio.
- 1936 – Common stock begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
- 1939 - February, Wilhide's first patent for a portable power driven uint US$113447 granted.[9]
- 1941 August – Wilhide's 2nd patent for a portable power driven tool unit granted.[10]
- 1943 – Received the Army-Navy "E" Award for production, one of four World War II (1939/1941-1945) citations awarded to the company.
- 1949 – First Black & Decker U.S. trademark awarded.
- 1951 – Alonzo G. Decker Sr. becomes president
- 1960 – Acquired DeWalt from American Machine and Foundry.
1975–2008
- 1975 – Francis P. Lucier succeeded son of one of the founders Alonzo G. Decker Jr.(1908-2002), as chairman of the board, the first time a family member did not hold the post.
- 1984 – Acquired small-appliance business from General Electric Company.
- 1986 – Nolan D. Archibald is named chief executive officer.
- 1989 – Acquired the Emhart Corporation[11] which includes the brand names Kwikset, Price Pfister faucets, Molly wall anchors, POP rivets, True Temper (both hardware and sports equipment) and other consumer and commercial products. Inducted into the Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame for its cordless power tool achievements and contributions to NASA's Gemini and Apollo programs.
- 1990 – True Temper hardware is sold to Huffy, and then sold to US Industries, owner of Ames, which later became
2009–present
- 2010 – Black & Decker merges with Stanley Works to become Stanley Black & Decker.[15]
- 2012 – Stanley Black & Decker sells its Hardware and Home Improvement group (HHI) to Spectrum Brands. Sale includes the lock business, as well as the related manufacturing subsidiary in Taiwan (Tong Lung).[16] As of January 2023, Spectrum was in negotiations to sell its HHI assets to Swedish lock manufacturer Assa Abloy, but were making adjustments in response to the United States Department of Justice findings of antitrust issues.[17]
- 2014 – Rebranded from Black & Decker to Black+Decker[18]
Brand portfolio
Recent
As of 2017, Stanley Black & Decker's brand portfolio included:[23] • Aero Scout
• Black+Decker
• Bostitch
• Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing
• Craftsman
• DeWalt
• Facom, Mac Tools, Proto
• Inner Space
• Irwin
• Lenox
• Piranha
• Porter-Cable
• Sonitrol
• STANLEY Access Technologies
Further reading
- , 1989 Competition Commission report
External links
References
- Black & Decker annual income sheet via Wikinvest^
- Stanley Black & Decker Opens Makerspace in Towson April 16, 2018^
- Stanley and Black & Decker in a Merger Deal: Toolmaker Deal Ends a 28-Year Courtship The New York Times, November 2, 2009