100 years of Black and Decker

Funny how history goes: a couple of entrepreneurs in Baltimore, Maryland, USA in 1910, invest $1,200.00 in a small machine shop and, through the course of 100 years of innovation and hard work they help win a war, explore the moon and create an icon known the world over.

This is the story of S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker, whose entrepreneurial spirit gave rise to the most recognisable DIY brand in the world. Black and Decker are a company and a brand synonymous with innovation; its timeline reads like an almanac of historical firsts and the legacy Black and Decker have left behind continues to impress.

Portable hand tools of the kind we use today were merely the stuff of fantasy in the early 1900s. Those dreams first became a reality in 1916 when Black and Decker filed for a patent on a half-inch portable electric drill with a pistol grip and trigger switch. Cumbersome by today's standards, this innovation represented a world first and a turning point in the history of what was possible in the tool industry.

The iconic Black and Decker hexagon logo - which represents a nut - was unveiled in 1912 not long after the company began.
 
The company's penchant for innovation didn't stop at product development, it extended into the way business was done. Black and Decker hosted clinics in 1925 to help distributors understand the relatively new concept of DIY and further educated them by showing how to demonstrate Black and Decker products to their customers. Educating those who were to sell their products was key to their success. Two converted Pierce-Arrow buses even toured the USA offering product demonstrations to salesmen and plant operators. A six-passenger Travel Air Monoplane later superseded the buses!

Black and Decker also took the innovative step of harnessing mass media to get the DIY message out to consumers, while promoting the unique pistol grip and trigger switch of the electric drill to an eagerly awaiting public.

Up until the outbreak of the Second Word War, Black and Decker's expansion continued with the establishment of manufacturing plants in Canada, the UK and Australia, as well as the release of their first 'consumer product' the Cinderella washing machine. When war broke out, their machines were put to work making fuses, gun shells and ordnance for the Allies. Their efforts were notable and their proud service earned them not one but four Army-Navy "E" awards for excellence in wartime production.

At the same time the patent for the electric drill was filed, Black and Decker patented a portable air compressor; a useful product when tyres weighed 45 kilograms and gas stations had no free air.
 
Revolution takes many forms and in 1946 Black and Decker learnt of factory workers taking portable drills home to use for small jobs around the house – sound familiar? The start of the worldwide DIY revolution began with the launch of drills and accessories designed to fulfil this glaringly obvious market need. The "Home Utility" line of drills and accessories was born and so was the ability for homeowners everywhere to take up the DIY challenge.

Chronologically, following on from the 1946 DIY revolution, Black and Decker released the first jigsaw and finishing sander in 1953, the first hedge trimmer and lawn edger in 1957 and the first cordless outdoor hedge trimmer in 1962, thus fuelling the desires of DIY enthusiasts across the globe.

The expertise and innovative reputation of Black and Decker took the company to new heights in 1961 when the first cordless drill powered by nickel-cadmium cells was released. This was followed in 1963 with the development of a cordless, minimum torque space tool for the NASA astronauts to use in zero gravity on project Gemini. In 1971 the team at NASA called on Black and Decker again, this time to build a power head for the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill, which was used to remove core samples from the surface of the moon on Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions.

Black and Decker helped to successfully remove core samples from the moon surface during NASA's Apollo missions.
 
Iconic companies tend to produce iconic products and Black and Decker gave the world the Dustbuster in 1979. This revolutionary product introduced a completely new concept in household cleaning products and helped to expand Black and Decker's scope from the workbench to the kitchen bench and beyond.

Black and Decker entered the history books again in 1984 when they became the official supplier of power tools and accessories to the delicate refurbishment of the Statue of Liberty near New York's Ellis Island.

In 1985 the company released the Piranha carbide tooth, circular saw blade, followed in 1988 with the Univolt charging system, capable of charging a multitude of power tool battery packs.

Back in 1960 Black and Decker acquired DeWalt Incorporated, then a respected manufacturer of radial arm saws and other stationary equipment. By 1992 DeWalt, under Black and Decker guidance, became the successful platform for high-performance industrial tools in the professional marketplace that we know today.

Innovation continues at Black and Decker and the distinctive orange and black design launched in 2001 continues to promote consumer confidence. With 100 years of knowledge and experience in the DIY market, you can be assured that not only are you working with the best in the business but that the company will continue to look for new ways to improve your DIY experience, including new tools, innovative technologies and exciting battery advancements.

Happy Birthday Black and Decker - here's to making history in the future!