Who Owns Tekton Tools And Where Are They Made?

Tekton Tools is a family-owned company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan that offers an extensive lineup of hand tools. Tekton's product lineup includes hand drive sockets, ratchets, impact sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers — including some of the best mechanic tool sets. The company also offers storage and organization products ranging from small tool holders to large tool chests. All in all, it's enough for Tekton to position itself as a competitive player in the hand tool-industry.

The defining characteristic of Tekton Tools? A commitment to transparency in its manufacturing processes, which extends to its website: Each tool's product page includes detailed specifications about the materials and production locations. This open and honest customer-centric approach is part of what makes Tekton an unusal company in the hand-tool industry. But it also raises a couple questions: Who owns Tekton Tools? And where does the company do its manufacturing? Here's what we know.

Tekton Tools is a family-owned business led by CEO John Amash alongside his brother Jeff, the company's Chief Information Officer. The company was founded in the 1960s by their father, Attallah Amash, a Palestinian refugee who started out as a door-to-door salesman before evolving into the founder of Tekton he's known as today. Since John and Jeff joined the company at the tail end of the 2000s, Tekton has evolved from an importer and distributor into a direct-to-consumer manufacturer. 

Amash's sons' involvement effectively took the company from a business-to-business distributor to a brand that sells directly to customers. By cutting out the middleman, companies are able to offer products at more competitive prices while maintaining more direct communication with their customers. As such, instead of relying on third-party retailers, going direct-to-consumer allows Tekton to better understand its customer base of professionals, DIY auto mechanics, and hobbyists.

Tekton Tools operates manufacturing facilities in the United States and collaborates with manufacturing partners in various countries internationally. While the company is based in Grand Rapids, approximately 80% of Tekton's tools are made in Taiwan, less than 20% are manufactured in the United States, and the remaining fraction comes from facilities in Canada, Germany, and Poland.

Curious customers can locate the country of origin for each product on Tekton's website by checking the "Specs" section on the product pages. When the company labels a tool as "Made in the USA," it means that both the materials and manufacturing process occur within the country. That way, customers can know exactly where their tools come from.

In recent years, Tekton has shown interest in increasing its U.S.-based manufacturing efforts, which currently include computer-numerical-control machining, broaching, laser engraving, vibratory polishing, and pressing. This desire to bring more of the manufacturing process in-house seems like a natural next step in Tekton's journey.