Pratt-Read is an American

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

company based in

Sycamore, Illinois Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 18,577 at the 2020 census, up from 17,419 at the 2010 census. Sycamore is the county seat of D ...

, that produces

screwdrivers A screwdriver is a tool, manual or powered, used for turning screws. Description A typical simple screwdriver has a handle and a shaft, ending in a tip the user puts into the screw head before turning the handle. This form of the screwdriver ...

. It is a subsidiary of

Ideal Industries Ideal Industries is an American company that produces electrical connector, connectors, hand tools, electronic test equipment, testers, and measuring instrument, meters for the electrical power industry, electrical and telecommunications industri ...

. Founded in 1798, it is one of the oldest companies in the United States.

History

Pratt-Read was founded in

Ivoryton, Connecticut Ivoryton is one of three villages in Essex, Connecticut, United States in Middlesex County. Ivoryton Historic District, the historic district in the village, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 2014.elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

tusks Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with narwhals, chevrotains, musk deer, water deer, muntjac, pigs, peccaries, hippopota ...

imported from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The company began to specialize in manufacturing

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...

piano keys in 1839 and eventually piano action mechanisms. The company made its first screwdrivers in 1834 but stopped in 1840, instead selling the handles and blades to smaller companies made at the Pratt, Read and Company Factory Complex. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the company continued producing screwdriver blades and suspended production of piano parts to manufacture

Waco CG-4 The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used American troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and given the service name Hadrian (after the Roman emperor) by the British. The ...

gliders for the military. The company built 956 of the fabric-covered wood and steel airframes. Piano part production continued after the war, but the company gradually shifted its focus to manufacturing screwdrivers, and in the late 1980s, ended its piano parts business, closing a facility in

Central, South Carolina Central is a town in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,159. Contrary to its name, it is not near South Carolina's center. It received its name from being halfway or the central point betw ...

, and began to focus on screwdrivers exclusively. Pratt-Read manufactures its own handles, blades, and—after a 2005 acquisition of

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

-based American Industrial Manufacturers—bits, all in the U.S., which it sells directly to users under its own name, as well as to manufacturers such as

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

, Snap-on, Danaher, and

Klein Klein may refer to: People *Klein (surname) *Klein (musician) Places * Klein (crater), a lunar feature *Klein, Montana, United States * Klein, Texas, United States * Klein (Ohm), a river of Hesse, Germany, tributary of the Ohm * Klein River, a r ...

. In 2009, Pratt-Read filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

protection. On March 22, 2010,

announced the acquisition of Pratt-Read from bankruptcy. Ideal acquired the Pratt-Read name and equipment and continued production out of existing Ideal facilities, as the Pratt-Read facility in

Shelton, Connecticut Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 40,869 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley ...

had already ended operations.

Gallery

Image:Pratt-Read keyboard assembly.jpg, A Pratt-Read

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

assembly removed from an organ. Image:Pratt-Read LBE-1 Glomb.png, A Pratt-Read LBE-1 "Glomb" (Glider-Bomb) prototype. Image:Pratt-Reed LNE-1 (2834535755).jpg, A Pratt-Read LNE-1 glider, made for the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

during

, on display at the

New England Air Museum The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its ...

. Image:Pratt-Read super stubby screwdrivers.jpg, A set of Pratt-Read "super stubby" screwdrivers. These have shortened blades but regular-sized handles. Image:Pratt-Read Craftsman cushion grip screwdrivers.jpg, Two Pratt-Read cushion grip screwdrivers, manufactured for the

Craftsman Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative *Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take o ...

brand.

References

External links

Pratt-Read web site

Pratt-Reed archives at National Museum of American History Archives Center
{{Tool manufacturers Tool manufacturing companies of the United States American companies established in 1798 Privately held companies based in Illinois Companies based in Middlesex County, Connecticut Aircraft manufacturers of the United States Ideal Industries Ivory trade Manufacturing companies established in 1798

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links