Western Forge
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| Subsidiary of Ideal Industries | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1965 in Defiance, Ohio |
| Founder | C. William Schlosser |
| Headquarters | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Products | Hand tools |
| Website | www.westernforge.com |
Western Forge is an American manufacturing company. The company manufactures hand tools to be sold under other brands, including private-label brands such as Craftsman and Husky. It is a subsidiary of Ideal Industries.
As of 2010[update], the company is the largest American manufacturer of screwdrivers. yet the company is relatively unknown because it sells no tools under its own name.
Western Forge was founded in Defiance, Ohio in 1965 as a joint venture between Sears and C. William Schlosser to make torque wrenches. In 1966, it relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it built a new manufacturing facility. In the next few years, the company began producing screwdrivers, punches, chisels, adjustable wrenches, and pliers.
In 1976, Western Forge shipped its 100 millionth Craftsman screwdriver. In 2008, the company produced its billionth screwdriver overall.
In 1978, Western Forge applied for, and received its USA trademark. They then produced, and test marketed a line of hand tools branded with their own name, i.e. "Western Forge". Among these tools were a socket and ratchet set that they sold in Colorado Springs CO., and also Denver Co. Very few of these tools have turned up, indicating full production never took place.
In 1981, the company was acquired by Emerson Electric.
In the late 1990s, Western Forge moved its screwdriver production to a plant in Murphy, North Carolina. In April 2006, it closed the plant and consolidated its operations in Colorado Springs, citing declining sales. The company received $200,000 in cash incentives from the City of Colorado Springs and the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation to stay in Colorado Springs. Sears Craftsman products (and others) that are produced by Western Forge are marked with a "WF" on them.
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