Stanley Works to buy Black & Decker for $4.5 billion

Will Stanly pull B&D quality up? Or, will the reverse be true? If past associations (PC, DeWalt) with B&D are any gauge, it doesn’t bode well for us consumers.

-- Gene

If quality was the criterion for successful business then Felder,Fein and Festool would be in every shop.
Truth is we are a culture of “make do” and “good enough”.

Knowing that is what makes B&D and Stanley as strong as they are. <g>

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I echo Gene. Hope this doesn’t mean crummy automated doors and tools. With the resumed production of bevel-up planes, I’m hoping for a rebirth of quality from The Stanley Works. Of course I still believe in the tooth fairy…

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Nelson C. Amadingo at your service!

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I have been reading everything I could find about this M&A. I have been looking for something that says Stanley Tool Works is going to attempt to restore unquestionable quality to their product lines. I have not found that.

What has been easy to find are statements that indicate “increased profitability” is the key objective.

Easily located are statements like:

$350 million in cost savings,

enhanced opportunities to generate superior returns,

create tremendous value for shareholders of both companies through the realization of significant cost synergies, operating margin expansion and enhanced growth opportunities.

These are all typical of board room discussions and not what you will hear when talking to the end user.

Someone, please – show me where someone said that Stanley Tool Works is interested in building a fine, quality tool that can be honestly labeled as Made in the USA.

-- Making Sawdust Safely