Dewalt Plans Centennial Celebrations

Dewalt announced that on May 14, 2024, company leaders will honor its 100-year anniversary by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The company is planning several activities in 2024 to commemorate its centennial. Raymond DeWalt founded his namesake company in 1924.

“Dewalt has been committed to professional tradespeople for the past 100 years, and Raymond DeWalt’s founding principles of innovation, safety and productivity remain the core ethos of our company today,” said Chris Nelson, COO, executive vice president and president, Tools & Outdoor at Stanley Black & Decker. “When we put the Dewalt name on something, it’s a commitment that our tools will help get the job done right. This milestone anniversary is also a humbling reminder of both the responsibility and critical role Dewalt plays supporting the trades with solutions, training and resources needed to meet the demands of the future.”

In 2019, the company began offering annual Dewalt Trades Scholarships to support and grow the next generation of trades professionals. In 2023, Dewalt pledged $30 million over five years toward its Grow the Trades initiatives to support active and aspiring tradespeople. And the company contributed nearly $7 million last year to programs that support tradespeople, including trade schools, VOCTEC schools and other training organizations, while also collaborating with industry and non-profit partners on increasing women, diversity and veteran participation in the trades.

Company Founding

Raymond DeWalt was a tradesman in Pennsylvania in the early 1920s and became a power tool pioneer when he sought a way to streamline and expedite wood-cutting operations without sacrificing quality or safety. His journey led to the invention of the “Wonder-Worker,” an adjustable electric radial arm saw that provided the ability to efficiently execute multiple operations on one affordable piece of equipment, and the creation of Dewalt.

The “Wonder-Worker” set the stage for Dewalt to begin distributing products both nationally and internationally, with the company counting household names like Steinway & Sons and Westinghouse Electric Co. among its clients. By 1927, Sears, Roebuck boasted that Dewalt’s saw contributed to helping manufacture “50 ready-cut houses” each day.

Later in life, DeWalt focused on helping close the skilled trades gap. He became a shop teacher at Mechanicsburg High School in Pennsylvania, educating the next generation of professional tradespeople. DeWalt passed away in 1961, but his trailblazing legacy lives on in the tools and outdoor products that bear his name.

Today, Dewalt powers trades around the world with award-winning products that includes a portfolio of power tools and technology equipment, hand tools, accessories and storage as well as outdoor powered equipment.

Anniversary Celebrations This Year

Here are some of the ways Dewalt will celebrate its milestone anniversary in 2024:

• Launching innovative products including Dewalt Powershift an electrified equipment system that optimizes the end-to-end workflow of concrete jobsites, which made its debut at the World of Concrete trade show last week with an electrifying activation on the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas.
• Ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on May 14, 2024, officially marking 100 years in business.
• Introducing a special anniversary branding and paint scheme on NASCAR driver Christopher Bell’s Number 20 Toyota Camry.
• A social media campaign honoring and highlighting the contributions of current professionals and promoting careers in the trades.

“Entering Dewalt’s second century, we remain just as committed to driving relentless innovation and supporting the trades as Raymond DeWalt did in 1924. From cutting-edge technology to skills development, Dewalt’s future remains strong, and we will lead the way in empowering tradespeople to succeed while defining the next era of industry innovation,” Nelson said.

Dewalt Milestones

In the 1930s, Dewalt collaborated with the U.S. government and industry organizations to define and improve safety regulations in the construction industry, before the establishment of what is now known as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). During the 1940s, Dewalt began a period of rapid expansion of its manufacturing capabilities to meet the demands of government orders in connection with national defense requirements.

In 1992, Dewalt introduced its first line of portable electric power tools and accessories designed to meet the unique needs of pro users. Two years later, Dewalt introduced a revolutionary system of more than 30 new cordless tools, including the most powerful cordless tools at the time: the 14.4-volt cordless drill/driver and the 5-3/8-in. cordless saw.

In 2016, Dewalt introduced “Flexvolt”, which was the world’s first battery that automatically changes voltage when the user changes tools. Dewalt was, in 2021, the first major power tool brand to use pouch cell batteries designed for the construction industry with the launch of its Powerstack battery.

In 2023, Dewalt introduced its Ascent Series of battery-powered commercial mowers with advanced tech solutions. Dewalt announced the launch of its Powershift equipment system in 2024 to optimize the workflow of concrete jobsites through electrification.