The new Craftsman tool plant will break ground this summer and is expected to be completed in late 2020. With the new 425,000 square foot facility, Craftsman is following through on their promise to produce more tools in the USA.
The factory will manufacture Craftsman mechanics hand tools, including sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and tool sets.
Stanley Black & Decker says:
The plant will also leverage some of the most advanced manufacturing technologies available to optimize productivity and sustainability, including pre-flattening steel technologies to improve material yield by almost 25 percent, as well as water and energy management technologies to reduce resource consumption.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that robots and fast-forging presses will contribute to the boosted output, with the 25% figure being in comparison to “older forging machinery” currently producing Craftsman wrenches in China. They also say that production costs will be “in line” with the tools currently being made in China.
Stanley Black & Decker says that the new Fort Worth, Texas Craftsman plant will employ around 500 people.
I remember when Craftsman was quality tool...
ReplyDeleteActually I bought a Craftsman 21mm 1/2" drive 6 point socket form Lowes a couple of weeks back, that along with the breaker bar I picked up at Harbor Freight went in the trunk of the Toyota in case I ever have to change the tire.
There is NOTHING better for loosening a lug nut than a 6pt socket that fits on the nut & me standing on the end of the breaker bar gently bouncing while saying the magic words "leftee-loosey".
Long time ago I went to Australia to travel around & see the country. Bought an old Morris furniture van, made it into a camper. Needed a hand drill, but money was tight.
ReplyDeleteAt a local Flea Market I found a vendor who had two hand drills: Chinese cheapie or Stanley. Chinese drill was like $3.50, Stanley was like $12. Figured I only needed a few holes now & then, so got the Chinese one.
I'm sure you already know what followed: the Chinese drill's chuck broke while drilling the first hole. Took it back; no guarantee, no refund, no replacement chucks available. Had to buy the Stanley, which the vendor helpfully pointed out does have warranty, and replacement chucks if I should need one. Grrrr. Tried to smile at vendor, don't know if I was successful. Learned lesson.
That Stanley hand drill is still going. That was 46 years ago, and my son still uses it now & then. We've never needed any replacement chuck- though they're still available!
DFW, and particularly north FW is in an incredible growth boom right now. New commercial properties, apartment blocks, new home developments, everything is getting plowed up and thrown up. The road design and layout hasn't kept up and traffic everywhere is a nightmare because the roads, instead of being laid with development following, are getting constructed or improved after the building phase. They need to string up the highway planning engineer, who (based on the highway mess) I suspect is really just a summer intern. Whole place is crazy right now. Nice to see industry coming back. Not tired of winning yet.
ReplyDelete