In 1918, A.H. Peterson developed the Hole-Shooter, a one-handed operation, capacity power drill powered by a series-type Westinghouse motor. This drill was lighter than other models available at the time, weighing only . In 1930, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation began producing tools for the U.S. Navy. Milwaukee Tool received an equipment specification rating for their electric drill. Milwaukee Tool then began developing
portable hand grinders,
electric hammers,
sanders, and
polishers. It was later sold to
Merrill Lynch in 1986,
Atlas Copco in 1995, and finally,
Techtronic Industries in 2005. In 2021, Milwaukee Tool opened a Service hub in
Greenwood, Indiana. The $6.75M investment complimented Milwaukee Tool's service hub in
Greenwood, Mississippi, as well as the company's network of factory and authorized Service centers across the United States. In 2022, the company continued to expand the system and broadened its focus with workshop storage solutions. In 2022, Milwaukee Tool opened a manufacturing facility in West Bend, Wisconsin for the production of hand tools, starting with pliers and screwdrivers. The company has the
right of first refusal (ROFR) to purchase additional land for future expansion.
Foreign forced labor allegations In 2023, U.S. lawmakers at the
Congressional-Executive Commission on China questioned Milwaukee Tool over allegations its suppliers may have used forced
Uyghur labor from Chinese prisons in the manufacture of work gloves. In response to an earlier inquiry by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Milwaukee Tool has said they do not tolerate the use of forced labor, and that they have strict policies and procedures in place to ensure that no authorized Milwaukee Tool products are manufactured using forced labor. Milwaukee Tool says they investigated the claims and found no evidence to support them. After questioning company officials, Representative
Chris Smith, Chair of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said that Milwaukee Tool ultimately discovered multiple examples of counterfeit gloves bearing their brand name being made in China, and cut ties with the manufacturer in question. Milwaukee Tool has been accused in US courts of benefitting from forced labor assignments in Chinese prisons, with former prisoner
Lee Ming-che recalling being forcibly tasked with gluing a patch bearing Milwaukee Tool's distinctive lightning bolt onto its leather work gloves while incarcerated in Hunan's Chishan Prison.
Production development • In 1935, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation developed a lightweight electric hammer drill. This power tool was designed to drill and sink anchors into concrete. This drill could also be converted into a standard drill. Milwaukee also designed an easy-to-handle, single-horsepower sander/grinder that weighed only . ==References==