When Sears promoted Arthur Barrows to West Coast
Manager, he hired Tom Dunlap to take over the hardware
department. Dunlap immediately upgraded the quality of the
tools. America had moved into the
automobile age and Dunlap recognized that Sears needed a line of high quality
tools to meet the new demand. He threw out the big, clumsy,
cast-iron hammers and wrenches, and the soft screwdrivers
leftover from the days when farmers were the company’s biggest
customers.
Tom Dunlap understood the pride mechanics
took in their tools and how they meticulously cleaned them each day. To improve the look of Craftsman tools, he
added chrome plating to improve the finish, color, and trim on
wrenches and sockets. He also added high impact plastic handles
on screwdrivers. Dunlap’s
former boss, Arthur Barrows did not think it made sense to
chrome plate a tool that someone would “slug the hell out
of”, but Dunlap’s persistence paid off when sales
of the full-polish, reliable, good-looking, and easy-to-clean tools increased six times the next year.
While the brand has evolved constantly to expand its offerings,
incorporate new technologies and feature ergonomic designs, the
original purpose remains the same: Craftsman tools are the
standard bearers of quality. As proof, an independent consumer
survey in 2001 rated Craftsman No. 1 among all
American brands in quality.
