For DeWALT, being in business for 100 years has meant listening to the needs of its customers—a quality that has allowed the company to thrive in today’s demanding market. By Lynne Testoni
Back in 1924, life was simpler, and tools were fairly basic. However, back then was also a time of innovation, especially within the building industry. It took vision to make a difference, which was how DeWALT started. Founded by Raymond DeWalt in 1924, and originally specialising in woodworking tools, DeWALT, now part of Stanley Black & Decker, has grown into a huge company, employing about 60,000 people worldwide, including roughly 400 people in Australia and New Zealand.
“Raymond DeWalt was an engineer and wanted to improve productivity in woodworking, so he created a new type of saw,” explains Jo Konstandinou, marketing director – Brand, Communications & Training, for Stanley Black & Decker.
DeWalt aimed to streamline and expedite woodcutting operations without sacrificing quality or safety, inventing the ‘Wonder-Worker’, an adjustable electric radial arm saw that provided the ability to efficiently execute multiple operations on one affordable piece of equipment. This became the foundation of the DeWALT brand.
“His invention really brought more productivity to sawing, revolutionising woodworking and making it more accurate,” says Konstandinou.
As the business grew and developed, the company moved to manufacturing tools beyond woodworking, rapidly expanding in the 1940s to meet national defense requirements in the USA. Black & Decker acquired DeWALT in 1960. Stanley then acquired Black & Decker and DeWALT in 2010 to become Stanley Black & Decker. DeWALT is the largest brand in the Stanley Black & Decker stable and sold all over the world.
“Our product range is quite vast; our history is in woodworking, but we have a considerable range of cordless power tools for trade professionals in 18V and 54V battery platforms,” says Konstandinou.
“We create tools for drilling, sawing, screwing, cutting, sanding, grinding, nailing, ratcheting and garden maintenance. We have rotary and demolition hammers, routers, tools for dust management—all these tools run on our battery platform. We also have lasers, storage solutions, anchors and power tool accessories.”
Justin Goode, group marketing manager, DeWALT Power Tools, says the company actively listens to customer feedback and prioritises worksite safety.
“We focus on accuracy, power, and durability,” he says. “Our tools and equipment undergo rigorous testing in real-life applications to guarantee they perform reliably day in and day out.
“We always remember that we are manufacturing for those who rely on tools for a living.”
“DeWALT’s safety platform, Perform & Protect, is built on three key pillars: Dust Suppression, Vibration Reduction, and Control,” adds Goode.
“Our tools are designed to maximise user safety without compromising performance.”
As for the future, DeWALT is committed to the concept of a cordless worksite, says Konstandinou, believing that battery-powered tools are both safer and more efficient.
DeWALT introduced its first range of portable tools in 1992, which Konstandinou says increased the productivity of many tradies tenfold, because they weren’t troubled by a lack of access to power (a common problem in new estates), and it offered flexibility and a lightweight option for smaller jobs onsite.
Its new POWERSHIFT technology is on the verge of being added for a range of new concreting tools for the construction industry.
“If you think about what we’ve done so far in normal construction, home construction and light trade, it’s time to expand,” says Konstandinou. “We’ve now got a range designed to meet the critical needs of concrete professionals—power, run time, and ergonomics. The electrified line will allow users to transition away from petrol-powered equipment, without compromising efficiency and performance.”
The system, made up of six concrete tools, streamlines the full concrete application through use of the DeWALT POWERSHIFT battery and high-speed charger across all tools.
POWERSHIFT will launch in Australia and NZ in early 2025.
