There are dozens of tool brands you’ll see when you walk down the aisles of nearly any hardware store. There are plenty of variations in quality and in price, some of which are substantial. But like many other goods, there are really only a handful of companies that manufacture power tools.
So who are the megabrands? Who owns who? Here’s a simple rundown.
The Big Players
So there are some big players, many that are household names around the world. These big companies are each the owners of several smaller brands, and from looking at them on the shelf, you might not ever know they are related.
To start us off, here is a list of the biggest megabrands in the game:
- Stanley Black & Decker
- Techtronic Industries/TTI
- Bosch
- Chervon
- JPW Industries
- Werner Co.
Some names on this list might not be familiar to you right away, but you will probably recognize the brands they own right away.
Stanley Black & Decker
The names Stanley and Black and Decker are both well-known, but you might not have known that while they are separate brands technically speaking, they operate under the same umbrella.
Not only that, but the company owns several other tool brands as well. They include:
- DeWalt
- Bostitch
- Craftsman
- Vidmar
- Mac Tools
- Irwin
- Lenox
- Proto
- Porter-Cable
- Powers Fasteners
- Lista
- Sidchrome
- Emglo
- USAG
You might be surprised that they own Mac Tools and Porter-Cable. And the company acquired Craftsman in 2017after Sears closed many of its stores. Not to mention DeWalt and Irwin. Irwin owns several companies as well, including:
- VISE-GRIP
- STRAIT-LINE
- Speedbor
- Quick-Grip
All these brands and several smaller ones fall under the Stanley Black & Decker Banner.
Techtronic Industries/TTI
This company is one you may not have heard of, but you have heard of Ryobi and Ridgid. However, they are not the exclusive maker of either of these tools, but rather make them under licensing agreements for some countries.
They also own several companies like Homelite and others you have heard of. What they are perhaps most known for is ownership of several vacuum cleaner brands. Here are some of the companies owned by Techtronic Industries or that they are licensed to produce:
- Milwaukee Power Tools
- Ryobi
- AEG
- Empire Level
- Hart
- Imperial Blades
- Ridgid
- Stiletto
- Dirt Devil
- Hoover
- Oreck
- Vax
- Homelite
TTI is in a unique position as a manufacturer, but because of that, they are one of the major players in the game.
Bosch
Discounting the Amazon series by the same name, Bosch is a huge and well-known tool manufacturer. But the company goes well beyond the namesake tools. In fact, if you have used a Dremel tool, a Vermont American, or even use Sia Abrasives, you’ve used something made by Bosch.
Here are the brands under the umbrella of the tool giant.
- Bosch
- CST/Berger
- Dremel
- RotoZip
- Vermont American
- Freud and Diablo
- OTC
- Accu-turn
- Beissbarth
- Actron
- Robinair
- Sunpro
- Sia Abrasives
As one of the biggest players in the game, Bosch brands has a huge market share in the tool sector.
Chervon
This is not the petroleum and energy company Chevron, but the tool giant Chervon. While you may not have heard of them directly, like other tool giants, you’ve likely used some tools made by their subsidiaries.
- EGO
- Devon
- FLEX
- Skilsaw
- Skil
- X-Tron
- Hammerhead
- Calmdura
The most common is perhaps EGO, the maker of electric lawnmowers and other yard tools that are environmentally friendly. Not only are they not the same as the gas station, but they are known for quite the opposite line of tools.
JPW Industries
With a lineup including industrial tools like JET and holding tools like Wilton, JPW is another big name in the business you may never have heard of, but you’ve used their tools and products.
Here are some of the names under their umbrella:
- JET Tools
- WILTON
- Powermatic
- Edwards Manufacturing
- Baileigh Industrial
- ProMac
- Tool Air
- GYS
The company itself is actually held by yet another holding company, Gamut Capital Management, which is the financial bedrock of the company.
Werner Co.
You’ve probably climbed a Werner Ladder even if you have never climbed one with their name on it. They make other power tools as well, and several brands follow under their name.
Here’s a list:
- ABRU
- Bailey
- Better Built
- BOSS
- Centaure
- Daurib
- Green Bull
- Haemmerlin
- Keller
- KNAACK
- Oldfields Ladders
- Weather Guard
- WERNER
- Youngman
- Zarges
With names like KNAACK and Weather Guard, you’ve probably used other tools under the Werner name as well.
The Rest of the Gang
There are many manufacturers that hold several brands under them, the above is just a sample of the biggest players in the game. Others include the following:
- GYS
- Emerson
- ITW
- Fortive
- Delta Power Equipment
- Snap-on
- Makita
- Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
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