The Ridge Tool Company is an American manufacturing company that makes and distributes tools under the Ridgid brand name. The company was founded in 1923 in
North Ridgeville, Ohio
North Ridgeville is a city located along the eastern border of Lorain County, Ohio. The city's population was 35,552 in 2020. North Ridgeville is the fastest-growing city in northern Ohio. It has been ranked the 13th safest city in the United Sta ...
.
In 1943, it relocated to its current location in
Elyria, Ohio
Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles southwest of Cleveland. As of the 2020 cen ...
, and in 1966, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of
Emerson Electric
Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets. .
Ridgid tools are targeted at the
plumbing
Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water delivery ...
,
pipe fitting,
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 ...
, and
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...
trades. The brand is best known for its distinctive red
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,
but the company manufactures over 300 different types of tools.
The company also sells power tools, largely made by
TTI, and wet/dry vacs, made by parent company Emerson.
Ridgid produced a
pinup calendar from 1935 until 2016.
Early renditions featured the work of American pin-up artist
George Petty
George Brown Petty IV (April 27, 1894 – July 21, 1975) was an American pin-up artist. His pin-up art appeared primarily in ''Esquire'' and Fawcett Publications's ''True'' but was also in calendars marketed by ''Esquire'', ''True'' and Ridgid T ...
. Models having appeared on the calendar include
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress.
She first won attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer ...
and
Brooke Burke
Brooke Lisa Burke (born September 8, 1971) is an American television personality, fitness personality, author, actress, and businesswoman. She is known for hosting the E! Network travel show ''Wild On!'' (1999–2002), CBS' ''Rock Star'' (20 ...
.
Gallery
Image:Ridgid 10" pipe wrench.jpg, A 10" 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 ...
manufactured by Ridgid.
Image:Ridgid 6-in-1 screwdriver.jpg, A 6-in-1 screwdriver
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 ...
manufactured by Western Forge
Western Forge was an American manufacturing company. The company manufactured hand tools that were sold under other brands, including private-label brands such as Craftsman and Husky. It was a subsidiary of Ideal Industries.
The company was t ...
for Ridgid.
Image:Ridgid tubing cutters.jpg, A number of Ridgid tubing cutter
A pipecutter is a type of tool used by plumbers to cut pipe. Besides producing a clean cut, the tool is often a faster, cleaner, and more convenient way of cutting pipe than using a hacksaw, although this depends on the metal of the pipe.
There ...
s.
Image:Ridgid tubing bender.jpg, A Ridgid tubing bender.
References
External links
*
{{Power tool manufacturers
Tool manufacturing companies of the United States
Power tool manufacturers
Plumbing materials companies
Manufacturing companies established in 1923
1923 establishments in Ohio
Manufacturing companies based in Ohio
Elyria, Ohio