I always find it interesting to learn about how companies came together. I am very familiar with the name Knaack when it comes to jobsite boxes and storage, as well as a household name like WeatherGuard. So, here is background and current information based on a press release on where those companies came from:
Knaack LLC
Company Backgrounder
Overview
Knaack is a leading manufacturer of tool storage equipment with an extensive product line that continues to grow. Typically using steel or aluminum, Knaack provides durable and secure tool storage for jobsites, trucks and vans. For over 45 years, Knaack remains the premier brand of storage equipment that users rely on and trust.
History
One morning in 1960, Howard Knaack took a break from his milk route with Cary Dairy to meet his friends Bill Brockschmidt and Charlie Schwab for breakfast. Bill and Charlie owned Brock Tool and Supply and were having problems with their source of supply of “ready-made” jobsite boxes. During their breakfast meeting, Bill and Charlie talked Howard into getting in the sheet metal fabrication business to supply Brock Tool and Company with jobsite boxes. Knaack Manufacturing Company was born, and the company began making four models for its first customer, Brock Tool.
A year later, Knaack grew from four products to ten and developed a catalogue. Each year since then, Knaack has expanded its office space to accommodate the company’s growth. In 1968, the company acquired the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Line from a sheet metal company in St. Louis, Missouri and continued to supply Knaack with the original WEATHER GUARD product until 1971. That year, Knaack redesigned its own WEATHER GUARD product line. Knaack West opened in 1997 to serve the West Coast, and that same year distribution began in Australia. In 2000, Knaack was purchased by Emerson, and it continues to expand its distribution and product offerings as a subsidiary of Emerson.
Products
Look at any jobsite, truck or van and chances are that you will see a Knaack or
WEATHER GUARD product. Knaack is the maker of the following:
• Cabinets • Transfer Tanks
• Chests • Van Cabinets and Drawers
• Work Stations and Benches • Window Screens
• Storage Boxes and Chests • Bulkheads
• Service Body Racks • Ladder Racks
• WEATHER GUARD Vehicle Solutions™
software – for upfitting vehicle
Facilities
With approximately 500 employees, Knaack’s 425,000-square-foot corporate headquarters facility sits on 16 acres in Crystal Lake, Ill.
Distribution
Nationally, as well as internationally, Knaack’s products are available through a well-established network of authorized agents and major hardware/homecenters who serve the professional tradesman.
Markets
• Construction • Automotive/Truck Aftermarket
• Electrical • Fleet
• Plumbing/HVAC • Government
• Cable/Utilities • Safety
Emerson Professional Tools™
Emerson Professional Tools, a business of Emerson, brings together technology and engineering to design and produce some of the highest-quality tools and equipment in the world. From wet/dry vacs to the industry’s best-selling pipe diagnostic system, key brands include RIDGID®, KNAACK®, and WEATHER GUARD®. For more information, visit www.emersonprofessionaltools.com.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to create innovative solutions for customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2008 were $24.8 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
Company Backgrounder
Overview
Knaack is a leading manufacturer of tool storage equipment with an extensive product line that continues to grow. Typically using steel or aluminum, Knaack provides durable and secure tool storage for jobsites, trucks and vans. For over 45 years, Knaack remains the premier brand of storage equipment that users rely on and trust.
History
One morning in 1960, Howard Knaack took a break from his milk route with Cary Dairy to meet his friends Bill Brockschmidt and Charlie Schwab for breakfast. Bill and Charlie owned Brock Tool and Supply and were having problems with their source of supply of “ready-made” jobsite boxes. During their breakfast meeting, Bill and Charlie talked Howard into getting in the sheet metal fabrication business to supply Brock Tool and Company with jobsite boxes. Knaack Manufacturing Company was born, and the company began making four models for its first customer, Brock Tool.
A year later, Knaack grew from four products to ten and developed a catalogue. Each year since then, Knaack has expanded its office space to accommodate the company’s growth. In 1968, the company acquired the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Line from a sheet metal company in St. Louis, Missouri and continued to supply Knaack with the original WEATHER GUARD product until 1971. That year, Knaack redesigned its own WEATHER GUARD product line. Knaack West opened in 1997 to serve the West Coast, and that same year distribution began in Australia. In 2000, Knaack was purchased by Emerson, and it continues to expand its distribution and product offerings as a subsidiary of Emerson.
Products
Look at any jobsite, truck or van and chances are that you will see a Knaack or
WEATHER GUARD product. Knaack is the maker of the following:
• Cabinets • Transfer Tanks
• Chests • Van Cabinets and Drawers
• Work Stations and Benches • Window Screens
• Storage Boxes and Chests • Bulkheads
• Service Body Racks • Ladder Racks
• WEATHER GUARD Vehicle Solutions™
software – for upfitting vehicle
Facilities
With approximately 500 employees, Knaack’s 425,000-square-foot corporate headquarters facility sits on 16 acres in Crystal Lake, Ill.
Distribution
Nationally, as well as internationally, Knaack’s products are available through a well-established network of authorized agents and major hardware/homecenters who serve the professional tradesman.
Markets
• Construction • Automotive/Truck Aftermarket
• Electrical • Fleet
• Plumbing/HVAC • Government
• Cable/Utilities • Safety
Emerson Professional Tools™
Emerson Professional Tools, a business of Emerson, brings together technology and engineering to design and produce some of the highest-quality tools and equipment in the world. From wet/dry vacs to the industry’s best-selling pipe diagnostic system, key brands include RIDGID®, KNAACK®, and WEATHER GUARD®. For more information, visit www.emersonprofessionaltools.com.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to create innovative solutions for customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2008 were $24.8 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
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