| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Moore Drop Forging Company |
| Founded | 1901 (1901) |
| Defunct | 1990 (1990) |
| Fate | Acquired byDanaher Corporation |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Hand tools |
Easco Hand Tools was an American manufacturer of hand tools. It is best known for being the main supplier of mechanic's tools for theCraftsman brand. Its tools were also sold under theAllen andKD Tools brands after its acquisition byDanaher Corporation. The brand name was gradually phased out by Danaher.
The company began asMoore Drop Forging Company inSpringfield, Massachusetts in 1900[1] or 1901.[2]
In 1938 Moore became a vendor forSears Roebuck.[1]
In 1967, Moore Drop Forging was acquired byEastern Stainless Steel Corporation (Easco), a manufacturer of stainless and specialtysteel. Easco continued the Craftsman contract withSears. By 1969, the parent company was known as Easco Corporation.[1] Tools made by MDF for Sears have a "V" maker's mark on them, those by Danaher had a "V^" (V and upside down V, sometimes a right-side up V). Variations of the "VV" exist including three digit codes on tools such as ratchets. It is believed that these denote the time frame of manufacture, as well as the plant that made them. "V" typically meant the tool was made in the Springfield, MA plant, "VV" typically meant it was made in the Springdale, AR plant and "G" meant it was made in the Gastonia, NC plant. This has been confirmed with various plant employees who worked at these facilities.
In 1985, Easco Corporation was acquired via a hostile takeover by Equity Group Holdings, controlled by the investment brothersSteven Rales andMitchell Rales and taken private. The hand tools division of the company was taken public, and the other divisions were sold to an investment group includingCiticorp Venture Capital.[3]
In 1990, the hand tool company was acquired by the brothers'Danaher Corporation.[4] This acquisition made the tools division the largest part of Danaher.[5] In 1991, Sears selected Danaher to be the exclusive supplier of Craftsman mechanic's tools.[6]
In 2010, Danaher merged its tools division with Cooper Tools to formApex Tool Group. In 2013, Apex closed theGastonia, North Carolina plant where Easco manufacturedsockets since 1978.[7]
