Porter-Cable is an American company that manufactures power tools. Known for contributing to the development of the portable belt sander, helical-drive circular saw, and portable band saw, it is a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker.
History
Porter-Cable was founded in 1906 in Syracuse, New York, by R.E. Porter, G.G. Porter, and F.E. Cable, who invested US$2,300 in a jobbing machine and tool shop. The trio operated the company out of a garage.
In 1914, the company began to focus on power tools, starting with a line of lathes. Three years later, the company bought a plant on North Salina Street in Syracuse.
In 1926, Porter-Cable began to develop a niche in portable electric power tools when Chief Engineer Art Emmons invented the portable electric belt sander, called the Take-About Sander.[1]
In 1929, Emmons invented the helical drive circular saw, a compact, lightweight design that became the most widely used circular saw design produced.
In 1960, the company was sold to Rockwell International