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History of Black & Decker®

The company is the world’s largest producer of power tools and accessories. Recently named as one of Australia’s key global brands and included in the 2004 Superbrands compendium, Black & Decker® this year celebrates 75 years of power and innovation in Australia.

So what were the chain of events that grew the small machine shop of the early 1900s into today's global manufacturing and marketing powerhouse? The answer may be revealed with a look at the timeline of major events spanning the Company’s history.

• 1917 -The Company received a patent for the pistol grip and trigger switch on its drill. It also built the first Black & Decker® plant, with 12,000 square feet of floor space in a frame building in Towson U.S.A., then a rural suburb of Baltimore U.S.A.
• 1922 - The Company formed its first foreign subsidiary, Black & Decker® Manufacturing Company, Ltd., in Canada and built its first wholly owned assembly operation and sales, service and warehouse facility outside the U.S.A. The Company also added the electric screwdriver to its growing product line.
• 1925 - International expansion continued. Black & Decker®, Ltd. was organized in London, England, as a wholly owned sales, service and warehouse subsidiary serving the United Kingdom.
• 1929 - Black & Decker® (Australasia) Pty., Ltd. was established in Sydney, Australia. The subsidiary was a wholly owned assembly, motor winding, sales, service, and warehousing operation.
• 1931- In the face of the Great Depression, Black & Decker® started its own warehousing operation in Sydney.
• 1941 - The Towson plant began to manufacture fuses, gun shells and other ordnance for the Allies. Despite the diversion of resources to the war effort, the Company continued to produce power tools within legislated limits.
• 1943 - Black & Decker® received the prestigious Army-Navy "E" award for production, one of four World War II citations awarded to the Company.
• 1946 - Black & Decker® established as a major Australian industrial force producing the power tools to help build ships, construct buildings, erect bridges and new houses.
• 1946 - A subsidiary was established with responsibility for developing business in the Western Hemisphere. Pushing south, the Company opened sales, service and warehouse facilities in São Paulo, Brazil. Also a major market breakthrough was achieved when Black & Decker® introduced the world's first portable electric drill for consumers.
• 1947 - B&D’s new range of U-series power tools meant that the home handymen and women of Australia could buy low-cost, high-quality power tools.
• 1951 - S. Duncan Black, co-founder and president since 1910, died on April 15 at the age of 68, and Alonzo G. Decker, Sr. became president. The Company broke ground for a 121,000 square foot plant in Hampstead, Maryland U.S.A.
• 1954 - While continuing to serve as president, Alonzo G. Decker, Sr. was elected to the newly created position of Chairman of the Board of Directors.
• 1955 - Black & Decker® South Africa (Pty.), Ltd. was set up as a wholly owned sales and service subsidiary in Johannesburg (relocated to Cape Town in 1958).
• 1956 - Alonzo G. Decker, Sr. died on March 18, at the age of 72. Robert D. Black, a long-time executive of the Company and brother of S. Duncan Black, was named chairman of the board and president.
• 1957 - Black & Decker® began to move outdoors with the first electric lawn edger’s and hedge trimmers for consumers.
• 1957 - Black & Decker® opened a major manufacturing complex in Croydon, Victoria, affording the capacity to manufacture, rather than just assemble parts from overseas.
• 1957 – 1958 - Black & Decker® (Belgium) S.A. was created as a wholly owned sales, service and warehouse subsidiary in Brussels.
• 1958 - The U-500 ¼” drill, the first power tool wholly made in Australia, was launched in Australia.
• In 1958, Black & Decker® (New Zealand) Ltd. was opened in Auckland while Black & Decker®, G.m.b.H. was established in Dusseldorf, Germany, and Black & Decker® (Nederland) B.V. was organized in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
• 1960 - Alonzo G. Decker, Jr., son of the co-founder and a Black & Decker® employee since 1930, succeeded Robert D. Black as president. Mr. Black continued as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Black & Decker® acquired DeWalt, Inc. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a manufacturer of radial arm saws and other stationary woodworking equipment in the U.S. and Canada.
• 1973 The UK company introduced the Workmate®; a combination vice, workbench and sawhorse that received an Award of Excellence from the UK Design Council.
• 1961 - Black & Decker® developed and launched the world’s first cordless electric drill.
• 1962 - Black & Decker® launched the world’s first range of cordless power tools. Technology leapt into space as Black & Decker® formed an association with National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA). Black & Decker® developed a unique power head for the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill to remove core samples from the moon.
• 1970 - Double Insulation Technology was introduced to the Australian Power Tool Market leading to a new range of safer tools.
• 1970 – 1971 - The Company acquired the Carbide Router Company, Inc. of Moonachie, New Jersey, U.S.A. In 1971, Black & Decker® (Nigeria), Ltd. in Lagos and Black & Decker® Argentina S.A.C.I. in Buenos Aires were organized as wholly owned sales and service subsidiaries.
• 1971 - Black & Decker® founded the famous hand-held vacuum Dustbuster®.
• 1972 - The Apollo XV astronauts used a Black & Decker® cordless tool, The Apollo Lunar Surface Drill, to remove core samples from the moon’s surface during the Apollo 15, 16 & 17 missions.
• 1972 - The Japanese government granted approval in 1972 for Black & Decker® to manufacture power tools in that country. Nippon B&D KK became the first non-Japanese company in five years to be given such approval on a private ownership basis.
• 1975 - Alonzo G. Decker, Jr. relinquished the position of chief executive officer, but continued as chairman of the board. Francis P. Lucier succeeded Mr. Decker as chief executive officer and continued as president. It was the first time in the Company's history that a member of the Black or Decker families did not hold the post of chief executive officer.
• 1976 - The Black & Decker® Workmate® caused a sensation when it was imported into Australia. Tradesmen and home handymen alike discovered “a second pair of hands”.
• 1978 - Australian Managing Director, R.W. Thornton, announced plans for the company’s most ambitious expansion ever – a 1.5 million dollar program designed to lift production at Croydon by 400% by 1981.
• 1979 - Black & Decker® celebrated 50 years of operation in Australia with the introduction of a new range of heavy duty Industrial and Tradesmen power tools, and the release of Australian made tools like the Whipper Snippers™, new drills and jigsaws specifically for the Australian market. Alfonso Decker visits Australia to mark the Anniversary.
• 1981 - Robert D. Black, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer, died on March 21, at the age of 84.
• 1984 - Black & Decker® announced a major reorganization plan to realign corporate management and consolidate manufacturing. Plants were closed at Maidenhead and Harmondsworth, England; Kildare, Ireland; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Solon, Ohio U.S.A. Manufacturing was transferred to other Black & Decker® facilities. Also in 1984, the Company acquired General Electric Company’s small household appliance business. Black & Decker® launched a brand transition program; unprecedented in scope, to transfer the Black & Decker® brand name to the household appliances acquired from General Electric.
• 1993 The latest range of Dustbuster® hand-held cordless vacuum cleaners was awarded the prestigious British Design Award by the Design Council.
• 1984 - Reflecting its broader product line and global marketing expertise, the Company adopted a new logo. The new logo retained the strong orange color that had long been identified with the Company and kept the heritage of the hexagon.
• 1985 - Black & Decker® turned 75. A celebration marking the occasion included placing a capsule of Company memorabilia in the newly renovated engineering building at Towson. The capsule will remain sealed until 2085. Signaling greater emphasis on marketing and sales, the Company’s stockholders approved a name change to The Black & Decker® Corporation.
• 1986 - Australian Maggie Tabberer became the face of Black & Decker®’s introductory range of homewares and domestic appliances with the Maggie ‘Black & Decker® suits me to a T’ concept. The rewarding relationship was to last over ten years.
• 1988 - The Univolt® Universal Voltage Charging System was the world's first global battery charger, capable of charging power tool battery packs ranging from 2.4 to 24 volts.
• 1999 Black & Decker® was awarded the prestigious Millennium Product status for its VP2000K Quattro® multi tool by the Design Council.
• 2000 Black & Decker® won the consumer product category of the 11th Annual Design Week Awards with the Mouse® detail sander. It also won the US based IDSA award.
• 1988 - Black & Decker® launches its award-winning Mouse®, a compact and versatile sander and polisher
• 2002 The Black & Decker® uniquely styled entry level Dustbuster® hand vac was given a Bronze award by the IDSA.
• 1989 - Black & Decker® acquired Emhart Corporation ($2.8 billion in revenues) in 1989, nearly doubling the Company’s size and adding a compatible global presence and an array of well-respected brand names, including Kwikset® residential door locks and hardware, Price Pfister® faucets, Molly® wall anchors, POP® rivets, True Temper golf club shafts and many other consumer and commercial products. Black & Decker® was inducted into the U.S.A. Space Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame for its cordless power tool achievements and contributions to NASA’s Gemini and Apollo programs.
• 1998 – Black & Decker® reports the strongest balance sheet in ten years and sales of core businesses reach record levels.
• 1999 - Focus begins on more fully globalizing the business by employing the internet and "e-business" strategies to support key retail partners as they expand in North America and around the world.
• 2000 - Black & Decker® launches Firestorm™ in Australia, a sub-brand of high performance, cordless power tools for the confident DIY enthusiast.
• 2003 - Another industry first for Black & Decker® as it introduces an unprecedented 4-year warranty on all cordless products (with the exception of Dustbuster®).
• 2005 Launch of the highly innovative Alligator® lopper, a user friendly woodcutting solution. It was duly awarded the prestigious German IF Design Award for 2006.
• 2007 The Black & Decker® 2nd generation of cylinder vacuum cleaner received the Plus X award for design and our innovative Pivot® Dustbuster® hand vac was awarded the Plus X accolade for design and ergonomics.
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