Sargent Manufacturing history

He also worked in a dry goods store in Boston, partnered with his brother Harry in a Georgia general store, and took control of his father’s business in 1849.

The Sargent brothers bought full ownership of the New Britain firm in 1857.

In 1858, Edward, George, and Joseph Sargent combined J. B. Sargent, Sargent & Brothers, and Peck & Walter into a single company.

Seven years later, in 1864, they moved the factory to New Haven to be closer to the sea for shipping purposes and the delivery of raw materials, and incorporated under the laws of Connecticut as SARGENT & Co.

Schollhorn Co., founded in 1870 in New Haven, Connecticut, began the tradition of Sargent Quality Tools.

Up until about 1882, Sargent and Co was a distributor for Mallory, Wheeler and Co, a large lock and door hardware manufacturer.

By 1887, the plant had expanded to sixteen acres of floor space and employed almost 1,7000 people.

Joseph B. Sargent was prominent in the New Haven political scene, and was elected mayor of the city in 1890.

J. B. Sargent broke a 1902 workers’ strike demanding a union shop and a 15% wage increase.

By 1914, the SARGENT product catalog listed some 60,000 different items, making it one of the largest hardware manufacturing plants in the United States.

Sargent introduced its Hercules brand name in 1927 to compete with Stanley’s Four-Square brand.

Lock collectors focus on Sargent locks made before 1940.

The Sargent Keso Security System was developed in 1965.

In 1967, the Sargent family sold its interest to the Walter Kidde Company, the start of an ownership chain that involved multiple ownership groups.

Rostra Tool Company purchased the Hand Tool Division of Sargent Manufacturing in 1987.

In January 1996, ASSA ABLOV AB, a Swedish lock manufacturer, acquired Sargent.

In October of 2014, Rostra Tool Company was acquired by Oetiker Group.

Effective November 1, 2015, Rostra Tool became officially known as the Oetiker Tool Corporation.