Who Makes Milwaukee Tools? (Power Tool, Electronic Tool + More)

Do you know who makes Milwaukee tools? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

Milwaukee Tool is the largest supplier of cordless power tools in North America. It has a huge range of products and is a well-known and respected brand within the construction industry.

Maybe you’ve been wondering if Milwaukee Tool is an American company and whether it makes its products in the United States?  

So, who makes Milwaukee Tools? As Milwaukee Tool is part of Techtronic Industries, a global company with production sites located around the world, Milwaukee Tool products are made in a variety of different countries. However, the ‘heart’ of Milwaukee Tool production remains in the USA, as demonstrated by huge investments in new facilities in recent years.    

In this article, I take a look at the history of Milwaukee Tool, explore its parent company and describe which types of Milwaukee Tool products are made in the USA, and which types are made elsewhere.

So, Who Makes Milwaukee Tools?

Given that Milwaukee Tool is owned by a company based in China with a global footprint, a lot of Milwaukee tools are made outside of the USA at other plants within the Techtronic Industries group.

However, Milwaukee Tool does have multiple production facilities within the USA, and in recent years Milwaukee Tool has been investing in the expansion and enhancement of these US facilities.

The Milwaukee Tools for trade professionals tend to come from the US factories, including Sawzall reciprocating saw blades, carbide Hole Dozer hole saws, bi-metal hole saws, and step drill bits.

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Production of Milwaukee Tool products in Chinese facilities owned by Techtronic Industries is focused on battery-operated tools and electric drills, such as Bluetooth-enabled, lithium ion-powered brushless power tools.

China’s easier access to semiconductor chips is a factor in determining which Milwaukee Tool products are made there.

Also, some Milwaukee Tool products are made in Germany, including some hammer drills.

So, Milwaukee Tools are made around the world using the combined production might and intelligence of the various resources and facilities made available to the company by virtue of its membership within the Techtronic Industries family.

But, with increasing investment in new R&D and production facilities within the USA, perhaps we are seeing a shift to more US-based production for Milwaukee Tool products.

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An Introduction To Milwaukee Tool

Milwaukee Tool has a long and interesting history. The company was founded in 1924 by Albert F. Siebert as the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In the 1930s, the US government gave Milwaukee Tool an equipment specification rating, and it began to produce tools to US Navy standards. Milwaukee Tool also developed various electric tools based on its own specifications. During World War II, Milwaukee Tool became a major supplier to the US Navy.

After the war, Milwaukee Tool continued to grow and developed a range of successful new products, such as the first half-inch right angle drill, and the Sawzall.

Milwaukee Tool grew steadily throughout the 1960s and 1970s and the company expanded its product lines. It also transitioned into larger facilities, and in 1965, moved from its original headquarters to a 212,000 sq ft facility located at Brookfield, Wisconsin.

In 1974, the company added to its Brookfield facility a new 60,000 sq ft manufacturing plant in Jackson, Mississippi. And then, to keep up with growing demand, Milwaukee Tool opened another two manufacturing plants in Mississippi, at Greenwood and Olive Branch.

With continued expansion, the company has invested in, and opened, additional production sites in the USA, including at Mukwonago, Sun Prairie, West Bend, Wisconsin, and Cookeville, Tennessee.

Milwaukee Tool has had multiple owners. It was first sold in 1975 to Amstar. Subsequent sales of the company are as follows:

• 1986 Merrill Lynch
• 1995 – Atlas Copco
• 2005 – Techtronic Industries

Milwaukee Tool’s niche is power tools, focusing on corded and cordless power tools, as well as a variety of hand tools, and other products for the workplace.  Milwaukee Tool is the largest supplier of cordless power tools in North America.

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Milwaukee Tool – Products

Milwaukee Tools has a huge range of products under a range of categories.

Its categories with the most products available are as follows:

• Power tools – Sawzall reciprocating saws, crimpers, cable cutters, chainsaws, etc.
• Hand tools – bolt cutters, knives, nail pullers, chisels, ratchets, screwdrivers, etc.
• Storage solutions – including the Milwaukee Tool Packout modular storage system for tool transportation, storage, and organization.

Milwaukee Tool also sells all of the parts and accessories you might need for your hand and power tools, as well as other products such as personal protective gear and worksite lighting.

Techtronic Industries

Techtronic Industries was founded in 1985 by Mr. Horst Julius Pudwill and Professor Roy Chi Ping Chung. Mr. Pudwill was a German businessman who worked at Volkswagen before forming Techtronic Industries.

Techtronic Industries opened its first manufacturing facility in Dongguan, China in 1988, and in 1990 was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The company has been successful in rolling out its strategy to accumulate and grow a collection of world-class brands.

In addition to Milwaukee Tool, Techtronic Industries owns outright, or owns the production licenses, for a wide variety of other well-known brands, including the following:

• Hoover
• Ryobi
• Dirt Devil
• VAX
• AEG

Techtronic Industries is now a world leader in the manufacture and sale of power and hand tools, outdoor power equipment, and floorcare; cleaning for DIY and professional users.

In 2021 the company achieved global sales of more than $13 billion and has more than 50,000 employees spread across the globe.

Techtronic Industries’ global operations include manufacturing, research; development facilities, as well as corporate offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and Asia.

Techtronic Industries has established an ‘Innovation Center’ in South Carolina and a ‘Global New Product Development Center’ at Milwaukee.

Conclusion

The ‘heart’ of Milwaukee Tool lies in Wisconsin and the company has a history of strong investment in research and production facilities in Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

However, as part of the Techtronic Industries family, Milwaukee Tool also makes use of other production facilities available to it around the world, including China, where the supply chain of vital components, such as semiconductors, provides a more favorable production environment.   

It does seem with its strong recent investments in its USA facilities, more Milwaukee Tool production may be returning to its home base.    

References

https://www.ttigroup.com/contacts/tti-offices

https://www.ttigroup.com/our-company/