WHO MAKES ALL THE APPLIANCES, HARDWARE AND TOOLS?

compiled by Rex Frankel, 1/19/2009

THE BIG 3 APPLIANCE MAKERS:

In recent years, America’s 5 dominant appliance makers (GE, Electrolux, Whirlpool, Raytheon and Maytag) have merged into 3.

GE:

Hotpoint (acquired 1918) http://new.idsa.org/webmodules/articles/anmviewer.asp?a=309&z=62

RCA—bought 1985 (but sold GE and RCA TV manufacturing division in 1987 to Thomson of France. Thomson in 2004 transferred all TV production to joint venture with TCL of China)

Monogram

Roper bought 1988

WHIRLPOOL:

Bought During the Bush Years: Maytag and numerous brands

Kitchenaid-bought in 1986 from Hobart Corp.

Estate-bought from RCA in 1955

Glenwood ???

Heritage ??

In the Maytag purchase in 2005, brands added to Whirlpool included:

Jetclean dishwashers

Neptune washers-introduced 1997

Jenn-Aire-bought 1982

Admiral-bought 1986

Magic Chef-bought 1986

Norge-bought 1986

Toastmaster-bought 1986 (sold 1987, now owned by Salton inc.)

Gaffers & Sattler-bought 1969 by Magic Chef http://www.johnmills.net/work/history.html

Gemini ranges

Amana and Radarange (sold by Raytheon in 1997 to Goodman, they sold it to Maytag in 2001)

Modern Maid, sold to Raytheon in 1979, then to Maytag,

http://www.rekitchen.com/stoves/brands/modern-maid.html

Caloric-sold to Amana in 1967- http://www.rekitchen.com/stoves/brands/caloric.html

Hardwick bought 1981- http://www.maytagclub.com/page-2j.htm

Dixie-Narco vending machines-bought 1986 (sold in 2006 to Crane co.(a division of American Standard Brands)

Hoover vacuums-bought 1989- sold 12/2006 to Techtronic --Hong Kong based-owns Royal and Dirt Devil vacuums, and Homelite, omelite, Milwaukee Sawzall (bought 2005) and Ryobi power tools, Stiletto hammers)

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Maytag-Corporation-Company-History.html

ELECTROLUX:

--1986-buys White-Westinghouse, getting

Frigidaire (brand was owned by General Motors from 1919 to 1980)

Gibson (bought 1979) http://www.rekitchen.com/stoves/brands/gibson.html

Kelvinator (sold by AMC in 1968)

Tappan

--in 1986 buys Poulan/Weedeater, yard tools; In 2006-spun off Husqvarna lawn and garden products, including Poulan and Weedeater

--in 2000, buys back rights to use Electrolux name in USA, had sold it in 1968 to Consolidated Foods, later known as Sara Lee, which sold it to management in 1987.

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SMALLER APPLIANCES, HARDWARE, TOOLS:

TECHTRONIC

Hoover vacuums sold 12/2006 to Techtronic --Hong Kong based, owns Royal and Dirt Devil vacuums, and Homelite, omelite, Milwaukee Sawzall (bought 2005) and Ryobi power tools, Stiletto hammers)

NEWELL RUBBERMAID:

TOOLS:

Bernzomatic torches

Vise-grip

Lenox saw blades

OFFICE PRODUCTS: Sanford, Sharpie pens, Eberhard Faber, uni-ball, Berol, rotring, Parker pens, Papermate, Waterman, Liquid Paper, Rolodex, Eldon, Dymo, Expo, Grumbacher

COOKWARE/HOUSEHOLD: Mirror, Wearever, Airbake, Calphalon, Anchor Hocking, Pyrex (not in USA)

Goody hair products

Levolor

Louverdrape

MeadWestvaco, which was sold to Cerberus Capital in 2005:

Bought Stuart Hall stationery products in 2001, from Pen-Tab Holdings. Pen-tab had bought it in 1998 from Newell Corp.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2001/03/19/daily20.html; Brands: Mead, Day Runner, Trapper Keeper, Cambridge, Zwipes, At-A-Glance

BLACK & DECKER:

EMHART BOUGHT 1989, they owned: Kwikset locks, Price Pfister faucets, Molly wall anchors, POP rivets, True Temper golf clubs

DeWalt tools

Porter cable-bought 2004 from Pentair

Baldwin locks, Weiser locks bought 2003 from Masco

NACCO INDUSTRIES:

Hamilton Beach, Proctor-Silex

SALTON INC., BOUGHT APPLICA IN 2007:

http://www.saltoninc.com/

Black & Decker small appliances

Spacemaker appliances

Toastmaster

Farberware

George Foreman grills

Infrawave

Stiffel lighting

JARDEN CORP.

Sunbeam

Oster, Osterizer

Grillmaster

Mr. Coffee

Borg scales

Oskar

Diamond matches

U.S. Playing cards

Crock-Pot

Bionaire

Pine Mountain firelogs

Kerr and Ball canning supplies

Coleman camping gear

Campingaz

4/2007 buys Pure Fishing

4/2007—buys K2 inc. for $765 mil., maker of skis, Shakespeare and Penn fishing tackle and Rawlings baseball equipment

STANLEY WORKS:

Bostitch staplers, nail guns

Mac tools

Proto tools

MASCO:

Delta and Peerless faucets, Hansgrohe, Brasscraft

Mills Pride cabinets

Behr paints

Milgard windows

COOPER INDUSTRIES:

Crescent wrenches

Lufkin tape measures

Plumb axes and hammers

Wiss snips

Buss fuses

McGraw Edison

Xcelite

INGERSOLL RAND:

Schlage locks

Kryptonite locks

-Thermo-King refrigerated trucks—bought in 1997 from Westinghouse-CBS

-12/2007 buys Trane air conditioning for $10 billion

AMERICAN STANDARD BRANDS:

Trane air conditioners-spun off in 2007

American Standard and Eljer toilets

Crane plumbing

EMERSON ELECTRIC:
In-Sink-erator