{{short description|Power and garden tool manufacturing company}} {{Infobox company |name = Positec Tool Corporation |type = Private |genre = |founded = {{Start date|1994}} |founder = Don Gao |logo = Positec Logo.png |image = Positec Factory at Xietang-20220316.jpg |image_caption = Headquarters in Suzhou, China |defunct = |hq_location_city = Suzhou |hq_location_country = China |location = |num_locations = |area_served = Global |key_people = Don Gao {{small|(Founder & CEO)}}<br/>Tom Duncan {{small|(North American CEO)}}<br/>Torsten Bollweg {{small|(Europe, Middle East & Africa EMEA CEO)}} |industry = Tool manufacturing |products = {{flatlist| *Power tools *Lawn and garden equipment }} |services = |market cap = |revenue = |operating_income = |net_income = |aum = |assets = |equity = |owner = |num_employees = |num_advisors = |parent = |divisions = |subsidiaries = |website = {{URL|http://www.positecgroup.com/}} |footnote = }}
The '''Positec Tool Corporation''', or simply '''Positec''', is a manufacturing company that specializes in the production of power tools and lawn and garden equipment.<ref name="IW">{{cite magazine | last =Minter | first =Steve| title =Positec's Path to Success Built on Brand| magazine = IndustryWeek| date =3 June 2011 | url =https://www.industryweek.com/leadership/companies-executives/article/21949358/positecs-path-to-success-built-on-brand| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> The company's corporate headquarters are located in Suzhou, China<ref name="Forbes01">{{cite magazine | last =Flannery | first =Russell| title =Doing It Himself| magazine = Forbes| date =3 December 2010 | url =https://www.forbes.com/global/2010/1220/companies-don-gao-black-decker-positec-doing-it-himself.html| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> and the head of its North American division is located in Charlotte, North Carolina.<ref name="Biz01">{{cite news | last =Boye | first =Will| title =Positec finds tools for growth | publisher = Charlotte Business Journal| date =15 July 2011 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/print-edition/2011/07/15/finding-tools-for-growth.html?page=all | access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> Positec is known for its production of the Rockwell Tools, WORX and Kress brands which can be found in retailers like Lowe's, Home Depot, Costco, and Walmart.<ref name="Forbes02">{{cite magazine | last =Shao | first =Heng| title =Chinese Power Tool Company To Expand U.S. Market| magazine = Forbes| date =3 July 2012 | url =https://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2012/07/03/chinese-power-tool-company-to-expand-u-s-market/| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |last=Kress |title=Kress announces plans to launch in North American market |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kress-announces-plans-to-launch-in-north-american-market-301605770.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref>
==History== The Positec Tool Corporation was founded by Don Gao in 1994 in Suzhou, China.<ref name="Forbes02"/> The term "Positec" is a play on "Positive Technology."<ref name="RMag">{{cite news| last =Haire| first =Thomas| title =DR Gives Positec a Big Edge| publisher =Response Magazine| date =1 November 2012| url =http://www.responsemagazine.com/direct-response-marketing/dr-gives-positec-big-edge-4865| access-date =30 April 2015| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150417041905/http://responsemagazine.com/direct-response-marketing/dr-gives-positec-big-edge-4865| archive-date =17 April 2015| url-status =dead}}</ref> The company was initially started as an original equipment manufacturer of hand and power tools for established companies and brands like Sears and Black & Decker. In one of the company's early years, they shipped an order of 700,000 angle grinders to Black & Decker. Later, Black & Decker would stop ordering from Positec to focus on manufacturing its own tools.<ref name="IW"/><ref name="Forbes01"/><ref name="GCB">{{cite news| title =Positive Technology| publisher =Greater Charlotte Biz| date =August 2014| url =http://www.greatercharlottebiz.com/article.asp?id=1633| access-date =30 April 2015| url-status=dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082716/http://www.greatercharlottebiz.com/article.asp?id=1633| archive-date =4 March 2016}}</ref>
After this, Gao began to steer the company toward becoming an independent manufacturer and seller of branded products. In 2004, the company released the WORX line of lawn and garden equipment.<ref name="Forbes01"/> Gao hired Paolo Andriolo, a designer based in Vicenza, Italy, to design "ergonomic" products for Positec.<ref name="IW"/> The flagship product was an electronic lawn trimmer called the WORX GT. Around the time of the WORX release, Don Gao met Tom Duncan, a former executive at the Vermont American Tool Company (a joint venture between the Emerson Electric Company and the Robert Bosch Tool Group).<ref name="GCB"/><ref name="NYT">{{cite news | last =Duncan | first =Tom| title =Immersed in Global Business| newspaper =The New York Times| date =26 May 2012 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/jobs/tom-duncan-of-positec-immersed-in-global-business.html?_r=0| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> After quitting his job at Vermont American, Duncan acquired the rights to the "Rockwell" brand which hadn't been used for power tools since 1981.<ref name="IW"/><ref name="GCB"/> Gao and Duncan partnered up, with Duncan becoming the head of Positec's North American division in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2005.<ref name="GCB"/>
Positec initially struggled to find buyers for their products. Retailers liked the products Positec produced, but they wanted to use their own branding (instead of WORX or Rockwell).<ref name="CEO">{{cite magazine | last =Pellet | first =Jennifer| title =DIY Brand Building| magazine = Chief Executive| date =15 February 2012 | url =http://chiefexecutive.net/diy-brand-building| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> In order to bypass this restriction, Duncan (along with Vice President of Direct Response, Rhonda Tate) decided to engage in a direct response marketing campaign. The company ran its first infomercial for the WORX GT in March 2007. By December 2007, the company had sold 313,000 units. The company had produced 10 long-form infomercials for the Rockwell Tools and WORX brands by 2012.<ref name="RMag"/>
Positec officially released the Rockwell Tools line in 2007.<ref name="Forbes01"/> Both Rockwell Tools and WORX products first appeared in a retailer in October 2009 at Lowe's.<ref name="GCB"/> By 2012, their products could be found in other major retailers like The Home Depot, Walmart, and Costco.<ref name="Forbes02"/> In order to accommodate increased sales, Positec USA moved its distribution center from Long Beach, California to Huntersville, North Carolina in 2012.<ref name="Biz02">{{cite news | last =Wilson | first =Jen| title =Positec Tool Corp. opens Huntersville distribution facility| publisher = Charlotte Business Journal| date =24 February 2012 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2012/02/24/positec-tool-corp-opens-huntersville.html | access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> By 2014, the company employed 4,000 people in 12 subsidiaries throughout the world. It also maintained facilities in numerous nations, including the United States, China, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and Canada.<ref name="GCB"/>
2017: investment in the (bankrupt) german company {{ill|Kress Elektrowerkzeuge|de}}.<ref>{{cite web | title=Our Power Tool Brands - Kress | Positec - Positec Europe | date=10 April 2024 | url=https://positec-europe.com/en/kress/ }}</ref>
==Products== [[File:Kasey Kahne Pit Rockingham.jpg|thumb|Kasey Kahne at Rockingham Speedway driving the #4 Truck sponsored by Positec brand Rockwell Tools.]] {{Main|WORX|Rockwell Tools}}
Positec produces, distributes, and sells products under two major brand names: WORX and Rockwell Tools. WORX is a line of lawn and garden equipment that includes products like lawn trimmers, lawn mowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, yard carts, and accessories.<ref name="GCB"/><ref name="Aero">{{cite news | last =Perratore | first =Ed| title =Convertible Worx Aerocart does the heavy lifting| publisher = Consumer Reports| date =16 March 2015| url =http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/03/convertible-worx-aerocart-does-the-heavy-lifting/index.htm| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> Rockwell Tools is a line of power tools and hand tools that consists of products like circular saws, drills, angle grinders, and specialty tools like the oscillating SoniCrafter and the Jawhorse clamping device.<ref name="WWJ">{{cite news | last =Marshall | first =Chris| title =Rockwell Tools: New Company, Same Quality| publisher = Woodworker's Journal| date =6 April 2010 | url =http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/rockwell-tools-new-company-quality/| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref> More recently, Positec began manufacturing a limited line of light-duty lawn and garden tools for German discount retailer Aldi in the USA under their private brands Ferrex (which replaced the WorkZone label) and Gardenline. Positec also make WESCO, Bauker, Xceed and Blue Ridge brands, and licensed the Cat brand for electric power tools and lawn & garden equipment.<ref>https://www.catpowertools.com/</ref>
==Recognition and awards== In 2010, retailer Lowe's honored Positec with the Supplier of the Year Award. Lowe's also named Positec the "Innovator of the Year" among their 2,500 other suppliers.<ref name="GCB"/> The company's WORX GT lawn trimmer also received an award from the U.S. Electronic Retailing Association in 2010.<ref name="Forbes02"/> In 2011, Positec received awards from ''DIY Week'' for Product of the Year in the power tool and garden tools categories.<ref name="GCB"/> In 2013, the World Wildlife Fund presented Positec with the Platinum Low Carbon Award for its sustainable manufacturing facilities in China.<ref name="WWF">{{cite news | last =Clark | first =Ken| title =WORX accepts award from unusual source| publisher = Hardware Building Supply Dealer| date =20 February 2013| url =http://www.hbsdealer.com/article/worx-accepts-award-unusual-source| access-date =30 April 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links == <!-- Per WP:ELMINOFFICIAL, choose one official website only --> * {{Official website|http://www.positecgroup.com/}} {{Power tool manufacturers}}
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Suzhou Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1994 Category:Tool manufacturing companies of China Category:Power tool manufacturers Category:Chinese brands Category:1994 in Suzhou