IDEAL Industries

IDEAL Industries is a manufacturer of electrical tools and supplies, datacomm tools and supplies, electrical testers and meters, and wire processing solutions. Its products include twist-on connectors, terminal blocks and strips, cable cutters, wire strippers, terminal and crimps, bench machines, saws, hand tools, fuse pullers, heat guns, installing tool kits, fish tape, and specialty wire connectors, to name a few. The company provides products to a wide range of industries including telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, wire processing, and data communications.

 

History

IDEAL Industries was founded by J. Walter Becker in 1916 in his mother's kitchen. The company was originally named the IDEAL Commutator Dresser Company of Chicago. The company relocated to Sycamore, Illinois in 1924 because Becker believed that a small town provided a better environment for building relationships and community, which would enable the company to fully realize its vision. In 1929, the company introduced what was to become one of the cornerstones of its product line - wire connectors for the electrical industry. By 1933, the company had already built a reputation for itself which caused American aviator and arctic explorer, Richard Byrd, to request IDEAL fuse pullers to be used in his expedition to the South Pole. The company was incorporated in 1946 and a few years later, IDEAL became the leading manufacturer of wire connectors in the U.S. In 1950, the company started expanding its focus to include producing electrical components. Further expansion and growth occurred in 1962 when the company established the IDEAL Industries Canada Corporation. In 1969, IDEAL wire strippers were used in the lunar landing module that made its journey to the moon. The following year, IDEAL started to focus on manufacturing products specifically for electrical tradesmen. In 1990, the company bought Buchanan Construction Products, a company that produced terminals, connectors, industrial controls, and relays. The year after, Crimp-Tec was acquired by IDEAL. In 1992, the company started offering their products to the retail market. In the same year, the company's global operations grew with the addition of IDEAL Industries (UK) Ltd. Partnering with Dragon Industries, the company acquired Shattuck Industries in 1993 and created IDEAL Networks, the company's internal Datacomm division. In 1996, IDEAL received its ISO 9001 certification. Anderson Power Products and WaveTek network certifiers were acquired by the company in 2001. The company's global operations further expanded to include Asia and South America with the establishment of new offices in Shanghai China (2002) and São Paulo, Brazil (2003). IDEAL also acquired Trend Communications (2004), a company that supplies telephone test and measurement tools. Casella Measurement, Inc. was also acquired by IDEAL, this time in 2006. To establish a comprehensive product line of tools, the company acquired Western Forge, Pratt-Read, and SK Hand Tool. In 2012, the company expanded into new countries - Mexico and India. In 2012, IDEAL's SignalTEK® II Qualifier was recognized by Security Sales & Integration magazine as one of the Top Thirty Technology Innovations of the year.

 

Headquarters & Locations

IDEAL Industries is headquartered in Sycamore, Illinois with manufacturing plants in Sycamore and DeKalb, Illinois; Sterling, Massachusettes; Fermoy, Ireland; Ajax and Ontario, Canada; and in Spain, England, and China. The company also has offices in India, Canada, England, France, Taiwan, Germany, Australia, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico as well as distribution centers in the United States.