In 2005, a Hong Kong conglomerate bought Milwaukee for $626 million and poured money into it. In 2017, an American conglomerate bought Craftsman for $900 million and built a factory that couldn't stamp its own name on a socket.

Same playbook. Opposite results. This is the story of what happened to every tool brand on the shelf.

TTI: Buy it, invest in it, leave it alone.
SBD: Buy it, merge it, cut it

A few companies watched all of this happen and said no.

Klein has been family-owned since 1857. Sixth generation, still private.
Makita has been independent since 1915. They're owned by Makita. They make Makita. No parent company, no conglomerate, no PE firm in the background.

Knipex is family-owned out of Germany. They make what many consider the best pliers on the planet. Part of a larger group (Knipex Group) but not publicly traded, not for sale.

Channellock is still owned and operated by the founder's descendants. US-made hand tools. They've quietly stayed private while everyone around them got acquired.

Hilti is owned by a family trust and still operates as a family company. Their customer service is legendary. One commenter shared that he bought bolts from them once in 2010 and they still have a dedicated service rep who calls him twice a year. He buys bolts out of guilt now.

Bosch is a private company owned by the Robert Bosch Foundation.

worseonpurpose.com - Your power tools got worse on purpose

Great read on the enshitification of the power tool industry. There are still great companies, making great products. Unfortunately, none are for sale, bu if they ever want to sell, I hope they know who to call.