Milwaukee Tool
{{Short description|Power tool manufacturer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
| logo = Milwaukee Logo.svg
| image = File:Milwaukee July 2023 008 (Milwaukee Tool).jpg
| image_caption = Milwaukee Tool location in Milwaukee, WI
| type = Subsidiary
| foundation = {{start date and age|1924||}}
| location = Brookfield, Wisconsin
| founders = Albert F Siebert
| key_people = Steven Richman {{smaller|President}}
| num_employees = 5,500{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
| industry = Manufacturing
| products = {{bulleted list}}
Power tools, Hand tools, Accessories,
| parent = Techtronic Industries
| homepage = {{Official URL}}
}}
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, known more commonly as Milwaukee Tool, is an American multi-national company that develops, manufactures, and markets power tools, hand tools, tool accessories, tool storage, and personal protective equipment.{{Cite web |title=The Company {{!}} Milwaukee Tools Europe |url=https://www.milwaukeetool.eu/header/about-us/milwaukee-story/the-company/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.milwaukeetool.eu |language=en}} Milwaukee Tool was last sold in 2005 for $626.6 million to the multinational holding company TTI Group.{{cite web |title=About TTI – Techtronic Industries |url=https://www.ttigroup.com/our-company/about-tti/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222192720/https://www.ttigroup.com/our-company/about-tti/ |archive-date=2022-02-22 |access-date=2022-06-16}}{{cite web |title=Milwaukee Electric Tool, other units to be sold for $626.6M |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2004/08/30/daily2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050419114516/http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2004/08/30/daily2.html |archive-date=April 19, 2005 |access-date=October 8, 2021}} The company now operates as an independent subsidiary of TTI Group alongside brands like AEG, Ryobi, Hoover, Dirt Devil, and Vax.{{Cite web |title=Brands |url=https://www.ttigroup.com/brands |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Cordless Power Tools Leader – Techtronic Industries TTI |language=en}} In 2022, $206 million was invested in Wisconsin research and development facilities.{{Cite web |author=Dan Stout|date=December 21, 2022 |title=Why Was Milwaukee Tool One of the Fastest Growing Brands of 2022? |url=https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/why-was-milwaukee-tools-one-of-the-fastest-growing-brands/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Family Handyman |language=en-US}}
Milwaukee tools today are manufactured globally in China, Germany, Mexico, the United States, and Vietnam.{{Cite web |last=Wabiszewski |first=Kevin |date=May 23, 2023 |title=Where Are Milwaukee Tools Made? 2023 Overview |url=https://www.allamericanmade.com/where-are-milwaukee-tools-made/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711023509/https://www.allamericanmade.com/where-are-milwaukee-tools-made/ |archive-date=July 11, 2023 |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=All American Made}} The tools produced include corded and cordless power tools, hand tools, pliers, hand saws, screwdrivers, utility knives, impact drivers, and more. Primary Milwaukee Tool product lines include the M12, M18, MX FUEL, and PACKOUT tool, equipment, and tool storage systems. This company globally distributes other various tools like multimeters, thermal imaging equipment, oscillating multi-tools, drilling devices, chargers, and more.File:Red_and_black_Milwaukee_tape_measure_on_white_backgroundpng.png
History
= 1918 – The Hole-Shooter =
In 1918, A.H. Peterson developed the Hole-Shooter, a one-handed operation, 1/4" capacity power drill powered by a series-type Westinghouse motor. This drill was lighter than other models available at the time, weighing only five pounds.{{Cite web |title=Milwaukee Tools: The History of the Brand |url=https://www.cableorganizer.com/learning-center/articles/history-of-milwaukee-tools.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610212502/https://www.cableorganizer.com/learning-center/articles/history-of-milwaukee-tools.html |archive-date=2020-06-10 |access-date=2020-06-10 |website=www.cableorganizer.com}}
= 1922 – A.H. Peterson Company =
= 1930 – U.S. Navy =
In 1930, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation began producing tools for the U.S. Navy. Milwaukee Tool received an equipment specification rating for their electric drill. Milwaukee Tool then began developing portable hand grinders, electric hammers, sanders, and polishers.
= 1935 – 3/4" electric hammer drill =
By 1935, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation developed a lightweight 3/4" electric hammer drill. This power tool was designed to drill and sink anchors into concrete. This drill could also be converted into a standard 3/4" drill. Milwaukee also designed an easy-to-handle, single-horsepower sander/grinder that weighed only 15 pounds.
= 1949 – Tool innovations =
In 1949, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation added a spring clutch to handheld Milwaukee sanders, grinders, and circular saws, significantly reducing tool recoil. In the same year, Milwaukee Tool also introduced their 1/2" right-angle drill. This power tool allowed plumbers and electricians to drill holes in wood and steel.
= 1951 – Sawzall reciprocating saw =
In 1951, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation released its Milwaukee Sawzall reciprocating saw. The Sawzall was the first portable hacksaw to have a reciprocating mechanism. Milwaukee Tool also developed a full line of saw blades that were capable of cutting all materials.
= 1965 – New headquarters =
In 1965, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation moved from its headquarters on State Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a 212,000-square-foot facility in Brookfield, Wisconsin. In the 1960s and 1970s, Milwaukee Tool was focused on product and facility expansion.
= 1974 – New manufacturing facility =
In 1974, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation opened a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Jackson, Mississippi. In the 1970s, Milwaukee Tool released the Hole Hawg, a power tool designed for drilling large holes in studs and joints. The company also released the Magnum Hole-Shooter, a 1/2" pistol drill, and became the first American manufacturer to produce a 4-1/2" angle grinder.
= 1991 – Milwaukee Super Sawzall =
In 1991, Milwaukee released the Milwaukee Super Sawzall, a reciprocating saw with built-in counterbalance, a gear-protecting clutch, and five different patents. In the later 1990s, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation released a new range of miter saws and a lineup of 18-volt contractor cordless tools.
= 2012 – New developments =
In 2012, the company developed its Milwaukee M18 FUEL product line. The tools specified as M18 tools included angle grinders, circular saws, impact wrenches, brad nail guns, and deep-cut band saws. This was achieved because of the Milwaukee REDLITHIUM batteries released in 2010.
= 2017 – Packout =
In 2017, Milwaukee Tool launched its Packout modular storage system, starting with 5 tool boxes and 3 tool bags.{{Cite web |date=June 12, 2017 |title=Milwaukee Packout Tool Boxes and Storage System, in Photos |url=https://toolguyd.com/milwaukee-packout-tool-boxes-photo-introduction/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=ToolGuyd |language=en-US}} The company has continued to expand the system, and broadened their focus in 2022 with workshop storage solutions.{{Cite web |title=Milwaukee Expands PACKOUT System with New Solutions to Customize Your Shop |url=https://www.milwaukeetool.com/News/Press-Releases/Milwaukee-Expands-PACKOUT-System-with-New-Solutions-to-Customize-Your-Shop |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.milwaukeetool.com |language=en}}
= 2022 – USA hand tool production =
In 2022, Milwaukee Tool opened a 95,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in West Bend, Wisconsin for the production of hand tools, starting with pliers and screwdrivers. The company has the right of first refusal to purchase additional land for future expansion.{{Cite web |last=WEDC |date=January 31, 2023 |title=Milwaukee Tool continues to grow in Wisconsin |url=https://wedc.org/milwaukee-tool-continues-to-grow-in-wisconsin/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=WEDC |language=en-US}}
= 2023–2024 – Foreign forced labor allegations =
In 2023, U.S. lawmakers at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China questioned Milwaukee Tool over allegations its suppliers may have used forced Uyghur labor from Chinese prisons in the manufacture of work gloves.{{Cite news |last=Vanderford |first=Richard |date=July 11, 2023 |title=Milwaukee Tool Is Questioned Over Alleged Use of Chinese Forced Labor |language=en-US |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/milwaukee-tool-is-questioned-over-alleged-use-of-chinese-forced-labor-2db1d0c3 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-07-12 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=July 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712145922/https://www.wsj.com/articles/milwaukee-tool-is-questioned-over-alleged-use-of-chinese-forced-labor-2db1d0c3 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Masters |first=Katherine |date=July 11, 2023 |title=US lawmakers question Techtronic's Milwaukee Tool on alleged links to forced labor |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/bipartisan-lawmakers-question-milwaukee-tool-alleged-forced-labor-supply-chain-2023-07-11/ |access-date=2023-07-12 |archive-date=July 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712145921/https://www.reuters.com/world/bipartisan-lawmakers-question-milwaukee-tool-alleged-forced-labor-supply-chain-2023-07-11/ |url-status=live }}
In response to an earlier inquiry by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre,{{Cite web |title=Human rights advocates raise concerns that Milwaukee Tool gloves are made with forced labour in a Chinese prison; incl. co. responses |url=https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/human-rights-advocates-raise-concerns-that-milwaukee-tool-gloves-are-made-with-forced-labour-in-a-chinese-prison-incl-co-responses/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Business & Human Rights Resource Centre |language=en}} Milwaukee Tool has said they do not tolerate the use of forced labor, and that they have strict policies and procedures in place to ensure that no authorized Milwaukee Tool products are manufactured using forced labor. Milwaukee Tool says they investigated the claims and found no evidence to support them.{{Cite web |last=Milwaukee Tool |date=December 20, 2022 |title=Milwaukee_Tool_Response_12.20.22 |url=https://media.business-humanrights.org/media/documents/Milwaukee_Tool_Response_12.20.22.pdf |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Business & Human Rights Resource Centre }}
After questioning company officials, Representative Chris Smith, Chair of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said that Milwaukee Tool ultimately discovered multiple examples of counterfeit gloves bearing their brand name being made in China, and cut ties with the manufacturer in question.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Chris |date=October 24, 2023 |title=Hearing: How Forced Labor in China Taints America's Seafood Supply Chain |url=https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/documents/2023-10-24%20%20Chairman%20Chris%20opening%20statement%20w.%20LH.pdf |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Congressional-Executive Commission on China}}
Milwaukee Tool has been accused in US courts of benefitting from forced labor assignments in Chinese prisons,{{cite web |title=Lawsuit alleges U.S. company used forced labor in China|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/07/18/nx-s1-5035540/china-forced-prison-labor-us-company-allegations }} with former prisoner Lee Ming-che recalling being forcibly tasked with gluing a patch bearing Milwaukee Tool's distinctive lightning bolt onto its leather work gloves while incarcerated in Hunan's Chishan Prison.
Like any other Chinese prisons, the facility incorporates labor assignments into daily life, often involving textile manufacturing, assembly work, or handicrafts. International human rights organizations argue that the work may constitute involuntary servitude.
=Ownership=
- 1924: The Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation was established by A. F. Siebert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- 1976: Sold to Amstar.{{cite web | title=History | website=Milwaukee Tools Europe | url=https://www.milwaukeetool.eu/header/about-us/milwaukee-story/history/ | access-date=2023-07-11 | archive-date=June 9, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609170354/https://www.milwaukeetool.eu/header/about-us/milwaukee-story/history/ | url-status=live }}
- 1986: Sold to Merrill Lynch.{{Cite web |date=August 27, 2020 |title=Milwaukee Tool History: Founding, Timeline, and Milestones – Zippia |url=https://www.zippia.com/milwaukee-electric-tool-careers-1191180/history/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=www.zippia.com |language=en-US}}
- 1995: Sold to Atlas Copco.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/22/business/company-news-atlas-copco-buying-us-electric-tool-maker.html|title=Atlas Copco Buying US Electric-Tool Maker|url-access=subscription|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 22, 1995|access-date=February 17, 2017|archive-date=May 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522001847/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/22/business/company-news-atlas-copco-buying-us-electric-tool-maker.html|url-status=live}}
- 2005: Techtronic Industries.{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2004/08/30/daily2.html |access-date=2021-10-07 |title=Milwaukee Electric Tool, other units to be sold for $626.6M |archive-date=2005-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050419114516/http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2004/08/30/daily2.html |date=August 30, 2004|website=Milwaukee Business Journal|url-status=live }}
Awards
- Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards – No. 60 Best Places to Work, 2020{{Cite web |title=Best Places to Work 2020 |url=https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Places-to-Work-2020-LST_KQ0,24.com }}
- Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards – No. 44 Best Place to Work, 2021{{Cite web |title=2021 Best Places to Work |url=https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Places-to-Work-2021-LST_KQ0,24.com }}
- Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards – No. 25 Best Place to Work, 2022{{Cite web|url=https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm|title=Best Places to Work | Glassdoor|access-date=2022-07-20|archive-date=2016-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122182342/https://www.glassdoor.com/Top-Companies-for-Work-Life-Balance-LST_KQ0,35.htm|url-status=live}}
- Crain's Chicago Business, Best Places to Work, 2022{{Cite web |title=These are Chicago's 100 Best Places to Work of 2022 |url=https://www.chicagobusiness.com/best-places-work/chicago-top-workplaces-ranked-crains-2022}}
- Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators – No. 63, 2023{{Cite web |title=100 Best Workplaces for Innovators 2023 |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category|Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Power tool manufacturers}}
{{Tool manufacturers}}
{{Techtronic Industries}}
{{Clear}}
Category:Power tool manufacturers
Category:Tool manufacturing companies of the United States
Category:Electrical equipment manufacturers
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Wisconsin
Category:Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Category:American companies established in 1924
Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1924
Category:1924 establishments in Wisconsin
Category:Companies based in Wisconsin