Why Ohio ?

[softailgarage]

I've noticed the vast majority of tool brands, especially older brands are made in Ohio. Any reason why Ohio?

 

[luvit]

conspiracy.. sorta like the astronaut thing we have going-on..

.

 

[woody 73]

The best Dam band in the land TBDINTL just kidding, although ohio State is doing very well at the moment but alas no bowl games this year

Ohio used to be a powerhouse in manufacturing but that went the way of the dodo bird by way of the orient express...

 

[Wakefield]

Is the raw steel for the tools made in Ohio (or the nearby part of Pennsylvania)?
Is special coal beneficial for making tool steel?

 

[woody 73]

We have tons of coal in southern Ohio, but they tell me it is the wrong grade (dirty burning);I believe In the beginning ohio got their steel from carnegie steel.

 

[thesilverone]

right in the middle of pittsburgh and detroit

 

[jeffmoss26]

I live there.

 

[woody 73]

What surprises me sometimes is just when I think ok woody you thought you heard of all the tool names made in ohio another company comes forth.

I had picked up at one time a small handful of tools marked VANADIUM TOOL CO. sure enough those suckers were made in athens Ohio home of Ohio University; I am sure to find more companies.

 

[JASTECH]

I don't know, but an excellent question. To add another item in your basket, Clause will have their drill press's tolerences checked in Ohio IIRC? This on the DP's that will now be made back in the USA instead of China.

 

[fflintstone]

right in the middle of pittsburgh and detroit

X2

Michigan ohio and pennsylvania and to a lesser extent Indiana were major manufacturing centers at the turn of the 20th century, iron ore in Michigan coal in pennsylvania, etc. and the great lakes to ship it all.

There were a few major Michigan brands that still actual produce here. Welsaw, yost vises, and us jack are still here.
Michigan made everything from furniture to washing machines.

All of it fed off of and supported and grew because of the auto industry.

 

[nanofrog]

I'm under the impression it was initially a lower cost location that met their needs, such as railroad access, river access, cheaper land, and close proximity to raw ore (iron and hard coal).

 

[woody 73]

Two great points from both of the above GJ members:

Iron ore in Michigan,coal in Pennsylvania,great lakes shipping.

lower cost location,ie railroad,river,cheap land,close to the raw ore.

 

[Joe B.]

Two great points from both of the above GJ members:

Iron ore in Michigan,coal in Pennsylvania,great lakes shipping.

lower cost location,ie railroad,river,cheap land,close to the raw ore.

All of those rust belt industries grew up in a range stretching from Western Pennsylvania to a little ways west and north of Chicago. Ohio is just in the middle of it. As other industries grew, the skill set of working with metal and the demand for tools already existed in these areas. The natural benefits of this area mentioned above allowed the tool makers in these areas to be the most successful due to competitive costs. The auto industry grew up in the same area for the same reasons. Tool making is not that different from making early auto parts.

 

[jjjrmx5]

I'm under the impression it was initially a lower cost location that met their needs, such as railroad access, river access, cheaper land, and close proximity to raw ore (iron and hard coal).

And, as Woody points out, a really really really good railroad system along with the rivers in southern Ohio and the Great Lakes in northern Ohio to supply raw materials and move finished goods.

Also large populace of skilled European immigrant workers during 1800's and 1900's.

Lots of machine tool mfgrs, steel amd metal fabricators as well as industrial companies doing commercial good and duarable good mfgr.

All that has changed to a great degree obviously, but being in the center of the country and really part of the crossroads does have its advantages.

Aside from Jeff Moss living 250 miles north of me.

THAT really is the key.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

[chopper1]

A list of the Ohio tool manufacturers [and I'm sure there are others I've missed]:
Cornwell, Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Fairmount, Cleveland
Herbrand, Fremont
Mac, Sabina
S-K, Defiance
Vlchek, Cleveland
Wright, Barberton

 

[Wakefield]

Also C&O Railroad went there and probably had access to West Virginia coal--metallurgical?

Obsolete "rustbelt" industry hated by environmentals? Where would we have been in WW II without it? Where will we be without it now? Client state of somewhere else?

 

[ianguilly]

I'll just say this, I live and work in ohio and have never seen a cornwell truck.

 

[jimnickol1986]

There is also a Matco corporate office or some kind of office up in Stow OH

 

[skyking]

Tool makers are deer hunters and Ohio has big-uns !

 

[jeffmoss26]

Don't forget Ridgid...made in Elyria
Imperial/Stride, Solon

 

[bsaint]

Cuz we can fix stuff. Most astronauts are from Ohio because when **** breaks, we know how to fix it.

 

[softailgarage]

Excellent answers gentlemen. I kinda figured it was a "central location" deal, didn't even think about the grades of metal available.

 

[foolishpride]

I'll just say this, I live and work in ohio and have never seen a cornwell truck.

I have. I've seen Cornwell, Snap On, and Matco trucks in the steel mill.

 

[Brownsfan]

Hickok waekon is In Cleveland . Been there and it is in a crappy part of town

 

[kiatech]

Thankfully i left that **** hole called Toledo.

 

[Brownsfan]

Matco Cornwell and Mac all have their corporate offices here. Cornwell and Mac actually make stuff here. Wright is made here as well. So is Hickok Weakon. All but Mac are within 30 min of my house. Mac is near columbus

 

[wrenchr]

A list of the Ohio tool manufacturers [and I'm sure there are others I've missed]:
Cornwell, Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Fairmount, Cleveland
Herbrand, Fremont
Mac, Sabina
S-K, Defiance
Vlchek, Cleveland
Wright, Barberton

Matco in Talmadge.

 

[justanengineer]

I could be mistaken, but I believe Youngstown was once the #2 steel town in the country right behind Pittsburgh.

Realistically, I dont think Ohio necessarily had more tool companies than other parts of the Northeast and New England. If you consider the companies that had major manufacturing locations in NY, PA, MA, CT, OH, IN, IL, and MI during the 20th century...you have a majority of tool manufacturing, and very likely a majority of total manufacturing in this country.

 

[qdvuu]

A list of the Ohio tool manufacturers [and I'm sure there are others I've missed]:
Cornwell, Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Fairmount, Cleveland
Herbrand, Fremont
Mac, Sabina
S-K, Defiance
Vlchek, Cleveland
Wright, Barberton

Cleveland Twist Drill - I have a few indexes full of them

 

[thejudges69]

strange as it may seem, in my business (trucking) A large portion of platform trailers are made in the tristate area, My dad can tell stories all day about the booming steel industry when he started trucking.

Mac Trailer, Alliance, ohio
East trailer, Ravenna, Ohio
Rhodes trailers, parkersburg, wv
Reitnouer trailer, Reading, Pa,
Benson trailers, formerly parkersburg, wv
Transcraft, benson, wabash, Wabash, Ind
City trailer, New Castle, Pa
Mac trailer tanker division, Kent Ohio
Fontaine/Ravens trailer New Philadelphia, Ohio
Kruz trailers New Philadelphia Ohio

Lot more industry in these areas then just tools. even though the steel mills killed themselves there is still a fair amount of industry, I know for trucking northeast Ohio is an extremely strong area for freight with higher then standard rates.

 

[darcyh]

Perhaps its proximity to Lake Erie?

It would have been relatively easy to ship the raw materials (steel, iron ore) to the manufacturer by lake freighter.

Just a guess...

 

[Conductor562]

Youngstown, OH, Weirton, WV, Wheeling, WV and all the other steel towns in the area are shadows of their former selves. Pittsburgh, PA was about the only one diverse enough to shoulder the loss of the steel industry. Better than 90% of the metallurgical coal trains I move go to the piers in Newport News, VA, onto a Panamax, through the Panama canal, and right on to China

 

[d.mcfarland]

Perhaps its proximity to Lake Erie?

It would have been relatively easy to ship the raw materials (steel, iron ore) to the manufacturer by lake freighter.

Just a guess...

I would think it was all done by rail and this part of the country had very established railroads to support business.

The Pennsylvania Railroad owned the most cars out of all the railroads if I'm not mistake, which I could be.

 

[Conductor562]

the access to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and the high BTU bituminous coal reserves in WV, PA, and OH were all contributing factors to the steel industry popping up where it did. When the steel industry took off most of the railroads were still developing. The river access was a huge deal.

 

[Boiler]

SK was from Chicago, they "merged" with Lectrolite in Defiance. Just an FYI.

Cuz we can fix stuff. Most astronauts are from Ohio because when **** breaks, we know how to fix it.

Born in Ohio but educated in West Lafayette Indiana

37% of space flights had a Boilermaker aboard!

 

[Hephaestus29]

I thought I saw a military comercial about the marines & the swords they carried being made only from the finest Toledo Steel. Shouldn't tools be made from the best steel ? of course I think a lot if it today has to do with the refining process.

 

[Boiler]

Toledo steel is from Toledo SPAIN.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Toledo steel is from Toledo SPAIN.

Thanks for edumacating me on that, it's always good to know the facts.

 

[JC23]

Ohio is in the Rust Belt and close to what used to be Detroit.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Toledo steel is from Toledo SPAIN.

That is also why the newspaper in Toledo, OH is called The Blade