Here is a collection of information regarding who makes what tools and "Made in the USA" claims.
Lowes now (as of earlier this year) is selling a line of Mechanics Tools called Kobalt which is made by Snap-On.
Home Depot's Husky brand is made by Stanley Mechanics Tools, a division of the Stanley Works.
Until 1994 or so, Stanley also made Sears Craftsman tools. Sears Craftsman is now made by Danaher Tools. They beat out Stanley on the contract over price. Danaher also manufactures MatCo Tools, the third largest player in the Mobile Automotive industry (behind MAC and Snap-On). Odds are, if you own any Craftsman tools that are older than about five years ago, they were made by Stanley in plants in Dallas, Texas, Witchita Falls, Texas, and Sabina, Ohio.
Stanley also owns MAC Tools and manufactures MAC tools in the same plants. Now here's the kicker: MAC Tools, Proto Tools (a very expensive industrial brand), Husky Tools, and, (prior to five or so years ago) Craftsman Tools are all made from the same forgings in the same plants. Proto is unique because it goes through additional testing and certification because it is used by NASA, the military, and industrial customers (including General Motors).
The following information from Dan Peronto a Tool Designer for Snap-on Tools at the Kenosha Mfg Plant:
From: "Peronto, Daniel J."
To: "John T. Blair"
Subject: Hand tools
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 13:44:50 -0500
I was reading on your site about 'who makes what tools'
http://www.team.net/www/morgan/tech/whotools.html. One part explains that the various manufactures use 'the exact same forgings' for all the various brands they sell. This is NOT true for Snap-on tools. Our retail brand Kobalt sold through Lowe's stores, shares very little if any traits with our traditional Snap-on line. They are made in the same plants, but most of the manufacturing tooling is different. They are made by the same UNION skilled machinists using the same tried and true processes. The designs for these tools are completely different. They use different material and are heat treated differently.
I hope this clears things up slightly
Dan Peronto
Tool Designer
Snap-on Tools
Kenosha Mfg Plant
November 2009:
In a major consolidation of the tool industry, Stanley Works agreed to acquire Black & Decker in a $4.5 billion all-stock deal, the companies said Monday.
Stanley, which is a leader in hand tools, owns brand names including FatMax, Bostitch and Mac Tools. Black & Decker, known for its power tools, owns Kwikset, Baldwin and Price Pfister, among others.
Stanley Tools Settles "Made In USA" Charges
June 11, 2006
The Stanley Works, a U.S. toolmaker, will pay a $205,000 civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges it falsely claimed its Zero Degree ratchets were "Made in the USA." It's the company's second offense.
The FTC says the claims violated a 1999 order issued against the company to resolve earlier allegations that it had made the same false "Made in the USA" claims.
The 1999 order prohibits it from, among other things, misrepresenting the extent to which any professional grade hand tools, including wrenches, ratchets, sockets, and chisels, are made in the United States.
"Many consumers rely on Made in the USA claims when choosing products. They expect those claims to be truthful," said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
"Companies that market products as Made in the USA must verify information from their suppliers before they make that claim."
According to the complaint, the Zero Degree ratchets, made under Stanley's MAC Tools trademark, were marketed as Made in the USA, when the foreign content was actually a substantial part of the product.
For a product to be labeled Made in the USA, it has to be all or virtually all made domestically.
A manufacturer may still label a product as Made in the USA when the cost of any foreign parts and foreign labor involved in making the item is negligible.
The settlement imposes a $205,000 civil penalty -- a significant portion of the profits made from selling the mislabeled wrenches -- and prohibits Stanley from violating the 1999 order.
By filing this new complaint, the expiration date of the 1999 order is now extended to 20 years from the date the new complaint is filed.
NEW YORK
Announces Update to Class Action Lawsuit class action lawsuit
Against Sears, Roebuck and Co. Across the country in Sears stores it has been observed that Craftsman "Made in USA
The Made in USA mark is a country of origin label indicating the product is "all or virtually all" made in the U.S. The label is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission.
“Made in the U.S.A. " claims have been blacked out. Lawyers for tool buyers, Goodkind Labaton Rudoff & Sucharow LLP, as part of their investigation, have observed that Sears has changed its website and blacked out "Made in USA" claims on tools across the country.
Before a complaint was filed, Sears used to project an image that Craftsman tools were "Made in USA". In response to the tool buyers' lawsuit, Sears has altered the website.
Barbara J. Hart, partner at Goodkind Labaton Rudoff & Sucharow and attorney for the tool buyers, says "it is our view that Sears' efforts to black out its "Made in USA" claims and alter its website are clear admissions that the "Made in USA" claims were false when made."
The original claims include allegations that print ads, signs, labels, and the website, which all promote Craftsman as "Made in the USA", led consumers to purchase the tools out of a sense of patriotism. Consumers were also led to believe that Craftsman is of high quality because it is "Made in the USA." Pictures attached to the complaint clearly show metal parts from Austria, Denmark, China, India and Mexico on Craftsman tools boldly labeled as "Made in USA."
