Truth Hardware history

Soon the demand for Truth's automotive tools was overwhelming, and in the early 1920's the Truth Tool Company moved to Mankato, Minnesota in search of larger quarters for its expanding business.

Reub moved to Owatonna where, in 1925, he founded the Owatonna Tool Company.

But, in 1930, in an effort to always produce the best possible product for the customer, Truth became the first manufacturer to produce chisels and punches made from Tarzen, or Gear Steel as it was commonly referred to.

Reub's Owatonna Tool Company had prospered over those 25 years and in 1950 OTC was ready to move its operation to newer, larger quarters.

Truth got OTC through its move successfully and in 1953, led by Reub's son, R.W. "Buzz" Kaplan, began the search for a new product to manufacture.

Where in 1955 it sold just one product, the original Lever Lock Operator, today's catalogue lists over 5,000 salable parts.

In 1959, driven by rapid growth in the popularity of products such as the Lever Lock which had been introduced only 4 years earlier, Truth dedicated itself completely to the design and manufacture of the highest quality window hardware.

Expansion in the mid 1960's brought about two major projects for Truth.

The space requirements generated by this decision, however, quickly exceeded the Rose Street plant and by 1965, work was completed on the new screen plant here in Owatonna.

Having been known only as the Truth Tool Company for more than 50 years, including nearly 10 years since it had produced its last hand tool, the company chose in 1968 to change its name to better reflect the many changes which had occurred in its business.

1969 also proved to be the year that a series of events begun some 46 years earlier came to a full-circle conclusion with a change in the ownership of the company.

It was now late in the year of 1984, and OTC Chairman of the Board, Buzz Kaplan (Reub Kaplan's son) addressed the company and made an announcement that would thereafter change dramatically the controlling interest of the OTC group.

And so it was done - on January 10, 1985, the papers were signed and the OTC family, no longer a privately held corporation, began its new association with Sealed Power.

During 1986, Truth acquired just that sort of company - the A.W. Anderberg Manufacturing Company of Los Angeles, California.

Truth Hardware was the first in our industry to achieve registration to ISO 9001 (original registration in 1994). ISO 9001 was developed by the International Standards Organization and requires compliance with standards for management, administration, product development and manufacturing.

In May of 1998, the opportunity arose for Truth Hardware to purchase a group of companies who, at the time, represented one of our strongest competitors in the area of double hung and patio door hardware.

With ISO 9001:2008, the focus remains clearly where it should be - on customer needs.