Stanley Black & Decker is selling Delta

[John Anderson]

Hey everybody, i just got this in an email and thought some of you on here would be interested:

Sanley Black & Decker is selling the Delta brand, which will then move its operations to Anderson, S.C. The purchaser is TOTY, according to Popular Woodworking Magazine sources. TOTY is a Taiwanese company that currently produces many benchtop tools for Stanley Black & Decker, Craftsman and Ryobi.

The new company will be renamed Delta Power Equipment and be headed by Bryan Whiffen, who is now listed as the senior vice president for product development at Techtronic Industries North America Inc., a worldwide manufacturer of tools that also is located in Anderson, S.C.

Whiffen could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The company will invest more than $3.6 million and expects to generate 40 new jobs, according to a press release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce. And the new facility should be in operation by April. According to an internal document obtained by Popular Woodworking Magazine, the transition of ownership will take place over the next four months.

“Until further notice, nothing will change with ordering product, freight terms, pricing, product availability, service parts, etc. For the short term, it will be business as usual,” according to the memo.

This is the latest turn for one of the most respected names in woodworking equipment. The company has passed through a number of owners – Stanley obtained the company in July 2004 – since it was founded in 1919 by Herb Tautz in his garage in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Some of the unanswered questions at this point include what will become of Delta’s domestic manufacturing, which has been scaled back in recent generations. Recently the company garnered a lot of attention from customers and the press by unveiling its new American-made Unisaw.

Until we get some more information, here’s what we do know from the official press release:

“The new facility will allow Delta Power Equipment to continue its tradition of providing top-notch woodworking equipment to our customers. We look forward to establishing our new operations in Anderson County,” Whiffen says in the press release. “South Carolina provided us with the positive business environment and market access we were looking for when deciding where to locate. We appreciate all the support we have received from state and local officials.”

And Joe Taylor, the secretary of commerce for South Carolina, had this to say in the release:

“Delta Power Equipment Corp. has a long history as a leading producer of woodworking tools and we are pleased to have them as a part of South Carolina’s business community. The company’s decision to locate its new operations in South Carolina is another indication that our state’s business-friendly climate, talented workforce and exceptional market access are working to attract new investments that create jobs for South Carolinians. We recognize that Delta Power Equipment could have made this investment anywhere and thank them for choosing to do business in South Carolina,”

— Glen D. Huey

[jgfore]

I wander what this means for Porter Cable?

[flairwoodworks]

How often do you see a Taiwanese company selling American-made products?

[Ben@FineWoodworking]

I wander what this means for Porter Cable?

I had the same thought. It seems like PC has been making a big push in the past year, both in market presence and quality.

I only own their new 18v drill but I love it.

[Dave's Not Here]

I wander what this means for Porter Cable?

Probably not much. Most of the low end Delta stuff has already been rebadged as Porter Cable anyways. I actually think this might be a good thing for the Delta name if this new company concentrates on higher end tools like Delta used to me known for. In recent years anyways, Made in Taiwan, has been a good thing.