Irwin Industrial Tools is an American manufacturer and distributor of

hand tools A hand tool is any tool that is powered by hand rather than a motor. Categories of hand tools include wrenches, pliers, cutters, files, striking tools, struck or hammered tools, screwdrivers, vises, clamps, snips, hacksaws, drills, and kni ...

and

power tool A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed ...

accessories. It is owned by

Stanley Black & Decker Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., formerly known as The Stanley Works, is a Fortune 500 American manufacturer of industrial tools and household hardware and provider of security products. Headquartered in the greater Hartford city of New Britain, ...

. It is best known for producing Vise-Grip

locking pliers Locking pliers (also called Vise-Grips, a vice grip, Mole wrench or mole grips) are pliers that can be locked into position, using an "over-center" cam action. Locking pliers are available with many different jaw styles, such as needle-nose pli ...

. Additionally, it produces clamps, drill bits,

taps and dies Taps and dies are tools used to create screw threads, which is called threading. Many are cutting tools; others are forming tools. A tap is used to cut or form the female portion of the mating pair (e.g. a nut). A die is used to cut or form the ...

screw extractor A screw extractor held in a tap wrench A screw extractor is a tool for removing broken or seized screws. There are two types: one has a spiral flute structure, commonly called an easy out after the trademarked name ''EZ-Out''; the other has a str ...

s, bolt extractors,

saw blades A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mov ...

pipe wrench A pipe wrench is any of several types of wrench that are designed to turn threaded pipe and pipe fittings for assembly (tightening) or disassembly (loosening). The Stillson wrench, or Stillson-pattern wrench, is the usual form of pipe wrench, e ...

es,

screwdrivers A screwdriver is a tool, manual or powered, used for turning screws. A typical simple screwdriver has a handle and a shaft, ending in a tip the user puts into the screw head before turning the handle. This form of the screwdriver has been repla ...

snips Snips, also known as shears, are hand tools used to cut sheet metal and other tough webs. It is a cutting tool. Workers use various types of snips, either straight or blend one be obtained. The straight or bent being not only for straight cuts b ...

, and other

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...

tools.

History

Irwin was founded in 1885 in

Martinsville, Ohio Martinsville is a village in Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 463 at the 2010 census. History Martinsville was platted in 1816. By 1833, Martinsville had 75 inhabitants. In 2013, prosecutors charged a former Martinsville c ...

as the Irwin Auger Bit Company by Charles Irwin, a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

. Irwin had bought the rights to a solid-center

auger bit Drill bits are cutting tools used in a drill to remove material to create holes, almost always of circular cross-section. Drill bits come in many sizes and shapes and can create different kinds of holes in many different materials. In order ...

from a local

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

. In 1924, another blacksmith,

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

immigrant William Petersen of

DeWitt, Nebraska De Witt is a village in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 520 at the 2020 census. History De Witt was established in 1872 when the railroad was extended to that point. Geography De Witt is located at (40.394982, -96.92 ...

, invented the first

and named them Vise-Grips. In 1934, Petersen formed the Petersen Manufacturing Company to produce them. In 1957, Petersen added an easy-release trigger to the design, creating the modern locking pliers design. In 1985, American Tool Companies bought out Petersen Manufacturing. In 1993, American acquired the Irwin Tool Company, and in 2002,

Newell Rubbermaid Newell Brands is an American manufacturer, marketer and distributor of consumer and commercial products. The company's brands and products include Rubbermaid storage and trash containers; home organization and reusable container products; Contig ...

acquired American. In 2003, the company officially changed its name to Irwin Industrial Tool Company. In 2008, Irwin announced the closing of its DeWitt, Nebraska plant, ending 80 years of American production for Vise-Grips, citing a necessity to move production to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

"to keep the Vise-Grip name competitive." In 2010, Irwin closed the customer service office in

Wilmington, OH Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,660 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways ...

and moved the customer service department to

Huntersville, NC Huntersville is a large suburban town in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. A part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, the population was 61,376 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Huntersville the List of municipa ...

. In October 2016

Inc agreed to buy

Newell Brands Newell Brands is an American manufacturer, marketer and distributor of consumer and commercial products. The company's brands and products include Rubbermaid storage and trash containers; home organization and reusable container products; Contig ...

Inc.’s tools business for $1.95 billion. The acquisition was completed in March 2017.

Gallery

Image:Locking_pliers.jpg, A pair of Vise-Grip

. Image:Vise-Grip curved jaw locking pliers.jpg, Vise-Grip curved-jaw locking pliers. Image:Vise-Grip long nose locking pliers.jpg, Vise-Grip long-nose locking pliers. Image:Irwin Quick-Grip bar clamp.jpg, Quick-Grip

bar clamp An F-clamp, also known as a bar clamp or speed clamp, is a type of clamp. The name comes from its "F" shape. The F-clamp is similar to a C-clamp in use, but has a wider opening capacity (throat). This tool is used in woodworking while more perman ...

. Image:Drill bit 10mm SDS IRWIN.jpg, A masonry drill bit. Image:Irwin 30mm.jpg, A spade bit.

References

External links

Irwin Industrial Tools website
{{Authority control Tool manufacturing companies of the United States Manufacturing companies based in North Carolina Newell Brands American companies established in 1885 Manufacturing companies established in 1885 1885 establishments in Ohio 1985 mergers and acquisitions 1993 mergers and acquisitions 2002 mergers and acquisitions 2017 mergers and acquisitions

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links