Armstrong Tools - Company History & Lore

In this video we'll go over the history of the Armstrong Brothers Tool Company.
From their start in a bicycle shop in 1890, to their award winning lathe tool
holder, drop forged wrenches and other industrial tools, Armstrong remained
independent until the company was sold to Danaher in 1994. After the Apex and
Bain Capital mergers, Armstrong was killed off sometime after 2017.

Moar History:
https://wikimili.com/en/Armstrong_Tools
http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=10756
http://alloy-artifacts.org/armstrong-bros.html

Armstrong Family PDF:
https://armstrong-tools.com/

Old Armstrong Bros Catalogs:
https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Armstrong+Brothers+Tool+Co.%22

2012 Armstrong Catalog:
http://www.billavista.com/tech/pdf_index/files/Tools/Armstrong%20Industrial%20Handtools%20-%202012%20Catalog.pdf

Armstrong-Bray Catalogs:
https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Armstrong-Bray+%26+Co.%22

Tool Holder Patent:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US492381A

1903 Cut-off Machine Article:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Railway_and_Locomotive_Engineering/w1FBAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=PA290&printsec=frontcover

1905 Factory Announcement:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Iron_and_Machinery_World/uE8-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=RA23-PA17&printsec=frontcover

1916 Panama-Pacific Exposition Award:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Machinery/xdVMAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=RA1-PA94&printsec=frontcover

John Armstrong Obituary 1923:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/American_Machinist/Jw1n149vdLQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=PA241&printsec=frontcover

1926 Industrial Marketing Article (refusing WWI war contracts)
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Class_Industrial_Marketing/uQQXAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=RA2-PA56&printsec=frontcover

1927 Vanadium Line Announcement:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sanitary_Heating_Engineering/r9ZCvrGCSNUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=PA572&printsec=frontcover

1928 Armstrong-Bray Announcement:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Manufacturers_News/7zep_uFKWGsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=armstrong

1928 Blackhawk Joint Venture Announcement:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Motor_Record/SYPtbDj8BFUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=RA5-PA49&printsec=frontcover
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Good_Hardware/U5PQku3uEfEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=blackhawk-armstrong&pg=RA5-PA95&printsec=frontcover

Paul Amstrong Obituary 1928:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hardware_Age/LZgTAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=armstrong+brothers+tool+co&pg=RA4-PA55&printsec=frontcover

2014 Springdale Plant Closure:
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2014/aug/08/springdale-to-lose-250-jobs-at-apex-too/
https://talkbusiness.net/2014/08/apex-moving-springdale-operations-to-south-carolina-250-jobs-lost/

2014 Garland Plant Closure:
https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2015/02/09/apex-tool-group-will-cut-261-jobs-close-garland.html

2017 Sumpter Factory Layoffs:
https://www.thestate.com/news/business/article126068444.html
https://wach.com/news/local/apex-tool-in-sumter-to-layoff-170-employees-by-the-spring

Old Chicago Maps:
https://chicagoinmaps.com/historicmaps.html

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:15 Early Days
01:30 Innovations
02:23 Joint Ventures
03:24 Trademarks
03:48 Mid Century Rise & Expansion
04:58 Danaher Buyout
05:44 Bain Capital & Downfall
06:48 Outro