Want to know what was going on in the world at any point during the last century? Chances are you could get a pretty good idea by just reading a Snap-on ad. In , a cultural shift was underway in the United States as the automobile was rising in popularity, creating the need for an emerging automotive repair industry. Joseph Johnson, an engineer from Milwaukee, had an idea that would revolutionize repair and make work easier for professional mechanics. Joe and his co-worker, William Seidemann, spent weekends using crude bending jigs and pure muscle to fashion two sample sets of five handles and ten sockets.
Using only these demo sets and brochures, Johnson and Seidemann generated over C. With this initial success, the Snap-on Wrench Company was formed. Johnson and Seidemann sought out the expertise of Stanton Palmer and Newton Tarble to market and sell their product.
Production was ramped up with the opening of a 2, square foot manufacturing facility in Milwaukee, WI, and the first orders were filled within six months. Learn more about our storied past and promising future, on the occasion of our th anniversary, in our It Started With A Spark digital book. In , Snap-on filed for its first patent, a ratcheting attachment. The No. First Product Catalog Throughout the s, the Snap-on product line continued to grow.
In , Snap-on published its first product catalog. Establishing Branches Nationwide With initial success in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, the founders decided to expand geographically. In December , Stanton Palmer and Newton Tarble identified 20 cities where branch offices would be established.
By , there were 17 branches and salesmen selling Snap-on hand tools direct to mechanics. New Home in Kenosha As Snap-on continued to prosper, the growth strained its rented Milwaukee facility.
