SPG International Closes its Doors

[marshak]

Might want to think twice before buying an International tool box.

From hardlines.ca:

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. — In a surprise move, toolbox manufacturer SPG International has closed its doors after being granted bankruptcy protection. The company’s Asian-based shareholders had tried without success to find a buyer. Benoit Clouâtre of court-appointed trustee Deloitte Restructuring said the closure will mean the loss of about 100 jobs. An asset sale is underway, and SPG still has the opportunity to strike a deal with creditors to avert bankruptcy.

BY Geoff McLarney
Published: November 14, 2018

 

[noid]

Another one bites the dust!

First the toolbox maker that made Gray tool boxes in Ontario, then Beach, and now International in Quebec.

Sad.

 

[rmsg0040]

Well that *****

My first toolbox was a International 26" top and bottom Made in Canada, purchased from Sears

 

[scooby074]

This *****. Snapon, Beech, Gray and now SPG.

Funny they went out because they were really pushing sales through Costco and Napa. Guess they couldnt compete with the imports.

SPG was the last big Canadian manufacturer of toolboxes I think. There are a couple specialized ones left like Swivel https://swivelstorage.ca/ ,they make a cool box, but it has a weird slide system. Crown, but they are like the Montezuma boxes, and Rousseau, but they are more industrial.

 

[rmsg0040]

Gray Tools still has boxes

 

[noid]

Gray Tools still has boxes

Made offshore now.

 

[rmsg0040]

^^ Didn't know that, I thought those red ones with the classic drawer handles were Canadian made, I guess the older one were

 

[noid]

^^ Didn't know that, I thought those red ones with the classic drawer handles were Canadian made, I guess the older one were

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277686

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272670&highlight=beach

Thankfully I got mine while they were still made in Ontario.

 

[Mr_B]

Sad news, never realised was in trouble, my lad had 2 boxes real cheap from HD and wondered why they had dropped the spg line .
Good job he got them cheap as warranty/spares won't be any real use now lol .
This is the future if companies all chase maximum markup and just source from asia, the 22" depth import ruling made it worse for domestic manufacture as imports became better spec for close to same prices always was, they need hit wallets of companies who import & make using or creating more local resources beneficial in cost and legal simplicity .
Nice christmas for workers at the canada facilities :-/

 

[Outlander]

Sigh....not nice to hear

 

[Two Door]

Northern Tool just switched from Homak to International. I wonder what they will do next.

 

[McFarmer]

Darn, I bought my box because it was North American made and a good box at a reasonable price.

I guess you can’t make money with a good product at a reasonable price. Pick one.

 

[MikeF2316]

I tried to get one of their SHD boxes with a custom configuration (more thinner drawers) about 5 years ago. At first we exchanged a few emails, then they just stopped. Snapon would and did, and got the sale.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Better get that SPG international side locker I wanted before stock runs out.

 

[gerryw]

3yrs ago i called and asked how the SHD series compares to the SO classic 96.
“I dont know”
Bought a used SO

It ***** that all those people could be out of work.

Gerry

 

[ive]

Well this just *****.

I’m guilty of this. I bought a offshore box from Costco, the black Kirkland one.

I’m gonna sell it this year and buy something as local as I can.

 

[lis2323]

Better get that SPG international side locker I wanted before stock runs out.

I purchased an SPG side cabinet a few years ago on sale at Princess Auto. It the only SPG piece I own and I am quite surprised at the quality.




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[ive]

Yeah. There stuff was good. Especially the SHD

 

[6PTsocket]

I would think the word " International" in the name suggests an import. It did Canadian woodworking tool company, General came out with their General International line. Evenually the International stuff was all that remained. I think they changed hands recently, too, as they were in financial trouble.

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[pstemari]

Where are the Waterloo boxes made?

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[WittHay]

I think the loss of Sears Canada hurt SPG a lot. There was always sales on Craftsman tool boxes and quite a few boxes in each store. I believe what Costco sold was drop was drop shipped from SPG and Napa was pushing SPG with their branded UltraPro boxes.

SPG could make big run of boxes for Napa and these could sit around in warehouses for a year or two before the next order. Princess Auto also sold International boxes over the years.

My Napa sourced SPG International box in the bottom right corner of the service truck with the little Canadian flag sticker on it.

 

[bobcatdan]

Where are the Waterloo boxes made?

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Historically USA, then most production went to Mexico. With Stanley buying them, I believe most production has been moved back to USA with Stanley's now classic "made in USA with global components". Waterloo has made craftsman boxes for years. Generally basically the same boxes with Waterloo generally having slightly higher slide and caster ratings for a given box. So for the most part, how you feel about craftsman boxes is pretty much how you will feel about a Waterloo. If you want a good USA box, Kennedy.

 

[pstemari]

Oh yes, I have two Kennedy roller cabinets and and a topper. Great stuff!

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[Negen]

No wonder Sears was selling them so cheap got a tracking number on my 42" shd let's hope it gets here.

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[NUTTSGT]

No wonder Sears was selling them so cheap got a tracking number on my 42" shd let's hope it gets here.

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International may have been a place that was still selling to Sears hoping they got paid and maybe they weren't getting paid which added fuel to the fire for International to die off.

 

[vssjim]

Supposedly Missouri is where their plant is now. Since Stanley bought them about a year and a half ago there was not a lot of info including when they bought them from the holding company. I know they had closed the mexican plant and supposedly expanded the only plant they have which is in Missouri. As far as I know they have not had a plant in Waterloo Iowa for a while but like I say not a lot of info. I would call and ask before buying a tool box. Stanley I think was showing the Craftsman labeled boxes they make as made in USA from the Mo. plant but other than that don't know

 

[Negen]

Supposedly Missouri is where their plant is now. Since Stanley bought them about a year and a half ago there was not a lot of info including when they bought them from the holding company. I know they had closed the mexican plant and supposedly expanded the only plant they have which is in Missouri. As far as I know they have not had a plant in Waterloo Iowa for a while but like I say not a lot of info. I would call and ask before buying a tool box. Stanley I think was showing the Craftsman labeled boxes they make as made in USA from the Mo. plant but other than that don't know

Even the paper thin Walmart boxes from Waterloo are labeled as assembled in USA with global parts . Which makes sense due to steel being hard to source from USA.

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Tca is still making boxes and price is good and product is equal if not better than the shd boxes.

 

[thin_concrete]

This *****. Snapon, Beech, Gray and now SPG.

Funny they went out because they were really pushing sales through Costco and Napa. Guess they couldnt compete with the imports.

SPG was the last big Canadian manufacturer of toolboxes I think. There are a couple specialized ones left like Swivel https://swivelstorage.ca/ ,they make a cool box, but it has a weird slide system. Crown, but they are like the Montezuma boxes, and Rousseau, but they are more industrial.

Those look really cool. I will be looking in to these more closely.

 

[noid]

Are the Canadian tire Maximum boxes made by international?

Suspect made in China statement found in the manual:

 

[toplessHO]

uhohh got 2 internationals still coming on an order from Sears.
ordered 3 and got only 1 so far

love that blue color

 

[vssjim]

so is the sticker fraud and the manual correct or is the sticker correct and manual is wrong

 

[scooby074]

Those look really cool. I will be looking in to these more closely.

I can tell you those Swivel boxes are about the heaviest Ive seen. The story I got was they were designed by a millwright who kept breaking "Heavy Duty" boxes.

The hinge system is unique. My local Napa carries them and they have a demo box in the showroom, the demo is, you stand in the drawer!! I dont think youd ever have a slide issue with them because there is no slide!.

Theyre a little crude in the paint department compared to something like a Snapon, where you have 100 different pant chips and "automotive" finishes. The paint on these is very heavy, orangepealed powdercoat, but probably 10x tougher than traditional paint.

And due to the arc shape of the drawers, you loose a bit of space compared to a square drawer but I dont think its a deal breaker.

I know a couple shops they sold them too and they havent broken them yet I was told. Those guys could break an anvil.

 

[Old-Soul]

Well that *****

 

[pstemari]

That import ruling <https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/01/24/2018-01351/certain-tool-chests-and-cabinets-from-the-peoples-republic-of-china-countervailing-duty-order> is bizarre—no tariff if the box is at least 22" deep and 18 ga steel? WTF?

Check out the table, too. A lot of the Chicom manufacturers are subsidized at over 90%. That's just insane.

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[anndel]

This *****. Snapon, Beech, Gray and now SPG.

Funny they went out because they were really pushing sales through Costco and Napa. Guess they couldnt compete with the imports.

SPG was the last big Canadian manufacturer of toolboxes I think. There are a couple specialized ones left like Swivel https://swivelstorage.ca/ ,they make a cool box, but it has a weird slide system. Crown, but they are like the Montezuma boxes, and Rousseau, but they are more industrial.

What's going on with Snap-on? Did I miss something?

 

[WittHay]

What's going on with Snap-on? Did I miss something?

Snap-on KRA boxes used to be made in Newmarket, Ontario. The plant closed in 2011.

https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/1465385-snap-on-tools-closing-newmarket-facility/

 

[anndel]

Snap-on KRA boxes used to be made in Newmarket, Ontario. The plant closed in 2011.

https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/1465385-snap-on-tools-closing-newmarket-facility/

OK thanks, did not know about that. I have a KRA box 5318 box I bought last year and it's made in Algona, Iowa. If it was made in Canada I still would have bought it anyday over a chinese made box.

 

[inline five]

I had their "standard" 56" one I bought from an auto tech who was upgrading. I think I paid $400 and resold it a year or two later for the same. It was OK. I ended up selling and buying a "HD" Cman griplatch new instead. The detents on the SPG one were wearing out. I bought some new ones directly from the Co, installed and it still wasn't right. Just wasn't overly impressed. If they had a griplatch or HF locking mechanism it would've been a decent box. I liked the layout and drawer setup except for the large top drawer that has reinforcement running through the middle. That was a little annoying.

I've been waiting for the Pro series Cman to go on sale, hope to pick a 40" top/bottom up before hey go TU. Previous to the International I owned a HF 40", they made it deeper but the drawer layout still ***** IMO.

 

[1foxracing]

I have 3 of the Tech series and love them. Very sorry to see them closing and people losing their jobs right before the holidays.

 

[scooby074]

What's going on with Snap-on? Did I miss something?

Witthay covered it. SO used to make boxes here in Canada, plus they also made a large percentage of their hand tool line here at one time.

Most of my grandfathers SO tools were Canadian made. IIRC they pulled tool manufacturing out in the late 80's ?? Could be wrong on the date. Toolboxes left after that.