Pratt-Read is an American

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

company based in Sycamore, Illinois, that produces

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 ...

. It is a subsidiary of Ideal Industries. Founded in 1798, it is one of the oldest companies in the United States.

History

Pratt-Read was founded in

Ivoryton, Connecticut Ivoryton is one of three villages in Essex, Connecticut in Middlesex County. Ivoryton Historic District, the historic district in the village, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 2014.

, in 1798 as Pratt, Read & Company, originally producing beads, buttons, and billiard balls from

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

tusks Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...

imported from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The company began to specialize in manufacturing

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...

piano keys A key is a specific part of a musical instrument. The purpose and function of the part in question depend on the instrument. On instruments equipped with tuning machines such as guitars or mandolins, a key is part of a tuning machine. It is ...

in 1839 and eventually piano action mechanisms. The company made its first screwdrivers in 1834 but stopped in 1840, instead selling the handles and blades to smaller companies made at the Pratt, Read and Company Factory Complex. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the company continued producing screwdriver blades and suspended production of piano parts to manufacture

Waco CG-4 Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

gliders for the military. The company built 956 of the fabric-covered wood and steel airframes. Piano part production continued after the war, but the company gradually shifted its focus to manufacturing screwdrivers, and in the late 1980s, ended its piano parts business, closing a facility in

Central, South Carolina Central is a town in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,159, roughly 3,000 of whom were considered permanent residents. Contrary to its name, it is not near South Carolina's center. It rece ...

, and began to focus on screwdrivers exclusively. Pratt-Read manufactures its own handles, blades, and—after a 2005 acquisition of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

-based American Industrial Manufacturers—bits, all in the U.S., which it sells directly to users under its own name, as well as to manufacturers such as

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

, Snap-on, Danaher, and Klein. In 2009, Pratt-Read filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...

bankruptcy protection. On March 22, 2010, Ideal Industries announced the acquisition of Pratt-Read from bankruptcy. Ideal acquired the Pratt-Read name and equipment and continued production out of existing Ideal facilities, as the Pratt-Read facility in

Shelton, Connecticut Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 40,869 at the 2020 United States Census. History Origins Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639. On May 15, ...

had already ended operations.

Gallery

Image:Pratt-Read keyboard assembly.jpg, A Pratt-Read

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

assembly removed from an organ. Image:Pratt-Read LBE-1 Glomb.png, A Pratt-Read LBE-1 "Glomb" (Glider-Bomb) prototype. Image:Pratt-Reed LNE-1 (2834535755).jpg, A

Pratt-Read LNE-1 The Pratt-Read TG-32 was a 1940s American military training glider, designed and built by the Gould Aeronautical Division of the piano manufacturer Pratt, Read & Company of Deep River, Connecticut, for the United States Navy. The Pratt-Read gli ...

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...

, made for the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

during

, on display at the

New England Air Museum The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its co ...

. Image:Pratt-Read super stubby screwdrivers.jpg, A set of Pratt-Read "super stubby" screwdrivers. These have shortened blades but regular-sized handles. Image:Pratt-Read Craftsman cushion grip screwdrivers.jpg, Two Pratt-Read cushion grip screwdrivers, manufactured for the Craftsman brand.

References

External links

Pratt-Read web site

Pratt-Reed archives at National Museum of American History Archives Center
{{Tool manufacturers Tool manufacturing companies of the United States American companies established in 1798 Privately held companies based in Illinois Companies based in Middlesex County, Connecticut Aircraft manufacturers of the United States Ideal Industries Ivory trade Manufacturing companies established in 1798

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links