Ames True Temper, Inc. is a

multinational corporation A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...

headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, U.S. It is a

wholly owned subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidiary company. Unl ...

Griffon Corporation Griffon Corporation is a multinational conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It operates as a diversified management and holding company. The company has five subsidiaries: Ames True Temper, ClosetMaid, Clopay Building Products, and C ...

. Ames True Temper specializes in the manufacture of non-powered lawn and garden products. Its manufacturing plant was located in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...

, and produced 85% of the

wheelbarrow A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled load-bearing vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles at the rear. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." " Ba ...

s in the United States and Canada making 1.7 million wheelbarrows each year, until Griffon decided to outsource production to China. The Harrisburg plant had been in continual operation since 1876. Ames, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1974, is among the oldest extant business corporations in the United States.

History

Formation

Blacksmith and pioneer Captain John Ames began making metal shovels in America in 1774. Ames underwent a merger in 1931 including Baldwin Tool Works of

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's List of municipalities in West Virginia ...

, the Ames Shovel and Tool Company of

North Easton, Massachusetts Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Boston area. Easton is governed by an elected Select Board. Open Town Meeting acts as the legislative bra ...

; the Wyoming Shovel Works of

Wyoming, Pennsylvania Wyoming is a borough in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Wilkes-Barre, along the Susquehanna River. The population was 3,097 as of the 2020 census. Etymology The name "Wyoming" ...

; Hubbard & Co. of

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

; and the Pittsburgh Shovel Co. of

. It later absorbed the Skelton Shovel Co. Inc. of

Dunkirk, New York Dunkirk is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It was settled around 1805 and incorporated in 1880. The population was 12,743 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Dunkirk ...

. The result of the merger was called the Ames Shovel and Tool Company. The company was renamed the Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming Company in 1933. In 1952, it became known as the O. Ames Company. The Old Stone Forge of

Wallingford, Vermont Wallingford is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,129 at the 2020 census. Wallingford also contains the villages of East Wallingford and South Wallingford. Geography According to the United States Census Bure ...

, founded in 1808, became the American Fork and Hoe Co. In 1949, the name was changed to True Temper. Ames purchased True Temper from the

Huffy The Huffy Corporation is the largest U.S. market-share supplier of bicycles with its headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, United States. Early history It has its roots in 1887 when George Huffman, George P. Huffman purchased the Davis Se ...

Corporation in 1999 to become Ames True Temper. In 2002 Ames, then based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania closed one of its two plants manufacturing lawn and garden tools in Wood County, West Virginia. In 2023, Ames closed the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania plant where President Trump celebrated this first 100 days of his first term in office.

Problems and controversies

Ames True Temper Company closed its facility in West Virginia in September 2005, unable to reach a contract agreement with the

United Steelworkers Union The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headqua ...

Brands

Ames True Temper currently owns the following brands: * Ames * ClosetMaid * Dynamic Design * Garant * Harper * Hound Dog * Jackson * Razor-Back * Southern Patio * True Temper * Union Tools * Westmix

Ames Australasia

Currently owns the following brands: * Cyclone Tools * Gardenmaster * La Hacienda *

Hills A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as mountains. Hills fall und ...

* Kelso * Nylex * Northcote Pottery * Supercraft * Trojan Tools * Tuscan Path * Westmix

References

External links

Ames True Temper

Westmix

Griffon Corporation
{{Tool manufacturers 1770s establishments in Pennsylvania Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies Camp Hill, Pennsylvania Companies based in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Companies established in 1774 Garden tool manufacturers Horticultural companies of Australia Manufacturing companies based in Pennsylvania Tool manufacturing companies of Australia