MARSHALLTOWN COMPANY
About Us
Williams Brothers Begin
In 1890, Jesse and Lester Williams started a small machine shop on East Church Street, repairing bicycles and automobiles, and fulfilling occasional tool orders for local contractors. One local plasterer asked that they customize some tools for him. The customer was pleased with the improved product and more requests trickled in. The Williams brothers made a few more trowels and put them on the market. Word traveled fast and they began receiving orders from outside of the state. Their small shop quickly grew into a manufacturing and mail order business, and the brothers thought they were doing quite well.
The men needed more space, so they moved to South 8th Avenue in 1902. They built a two-story machine shop, blacksmith shop, and automobile shop, as well as a boiler, engine room, and office. They began specializing in trowels and referred to that part of business as “Marshalltown Trowel Works.” Sales increased. The brothers and salesman Albert Higgin officially incorporated “Marshalltown Trowel Company” in 1905.
New Markets
MARSHALLTOWN relied on word-of-mouth advertising and sold directly to customers who found them. However, in 1909, Jesse and Al embarked on a large marketing campaign. They loaded a sales truck full of trowels and journeyed through the plains, over mountains, and across the country. The men actively pursued sales and created a network of distributors, collecting more orders along the way. Sales grew exponentially throughout the U.S. and Canada. To keep up with demand, MARSHALLTOWN invested in new buildings and machinery. Its workforce grew, and advances in production methods increased efficiency.
The World Wars introduced MARSHALLTOWN to new markets. In 1918, MARSHALLTOWN sent 18,000 trowels overseas for the US Army, in support of its nation’s wartime efforts. Soldiers assigned to work on European jobsites, including France’s Pershing Stadium, did so using MARSHALLTOWN trowels. When the wars were over, many immigrant builders and plasterers returning to Europe took their MARSHALLTOWN trowels with them, insisting on using only the best tools available, even though they often cost more than the European brands. Orders flooded in and MARSHALLTOWN experienced unprecedented demand.
Modern communications and transportation modes made it easier for goods and sales orders to cross the ocean. By 1930, MARSHALLTOWN was the largest exclusive manufacturer of masonry tools in the world. The company earned the Presidential E Award in 1975 for outstanding performance in export sales. Six years later, it received the E Star Award for its continuing contribution to the nation’s balance of trade.
Growth and Expansion
Sales were good, and MARSHALLTOWN was gaining global recognition. Demand exceeded the company’s production capabilities, and after much discussion and deliberation, MARSHALLTOWN formed its subsidiary, “Marshalltown Tools,” in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The company began production in its new facility in 1982 and added office space in 1983. Eventually, it moved its shipping and distribution to Arkansas as well.
MARSHALLTOWN has been fortunate to acquire several name-brand lines through the years. In 1969, MARSHALLTOWN bought the power trowel line from Construction Machinery Company (“CMC”) in Waterloo, Iowa. CMC’s machine was one of the only on the market that automatically stopped when the user released the lever, and these became the first powered machines in MARSHALLTOWN’s line.
MARSHALLTOWN introduced its Quality Line Tools (“QLT”) brand as another alternative in 1992. This line offered quality tools at prices attractive enough for contractors.
In 2002, MARSHALLTOWN broadened its paint and wallpaper line when it purchased Embee (formerly Murray-Black) out of Springfield, Ohio. It integrated a full line of putty knives and scrapers, paint stripers, glass cutters and glazing tools, seam rollers, and other paperhanging items.
In 2003, MARSHALLTOWN purchased the concrete portion of Superior Featherweight Tools, from Custom Building Products in Seal Beach, California. This involved the addition of the Rock-It™ adjustable bull float brackets and Mini Rock-It™ adjustable angle adapters, in particular.
In 2010, MARSHALLTOWN welcomed Cleform Tool Corporation’s “The Power of Red.” Its acquisition of the St. Joseph, Missouri company encompassed a large array of concrete products, Gilson concrete and mortar mixers, a broad range of shovels and long-handled tools, and asphalt and seal-coating tools.
MARSHALLTOWN acquired Spin Screed, the world’s first lightweight power roller screed, in 2018. The Quincy, Illinois, company specialized in roller screeds, pipe, chair support systems, and other related products.
In 2019, MARSHALLTOWN acquired Clark Tile Company, Inc. out of Batavia, Illinois. The company was best known for its patented, all-plastic notch trowels.
MARSHALLTOWN acquired Barco Industries in 2019. The company manufactured products for the brick, concrete, drywall, and tiling trades.
In 2019, MARSHALLTOWN purchased Bullet Tools, a Hayden, Idaho, company specializing in state-of-the-art flooring shears, siding shears, and insulation cutters.
MARSHALLTOWN acquired Avalanche! in the fall of 2020. The company was based in Maple Lake, Minnesota and specialized in roof snow removal systems.
MARSHALLTOWN capped off 2020 with the purchase of Minneapolis-based Gatorback, a company specializing in premium mortar boards and mortar pans.
In 2021, MARSHALLTOWN acquired Frederick Tool Corp., a manufacturer of masonry tools based in Elkhart, Indiana. Frederick Tool Corp. is known for its custom imprinted masonry promotional items.
In 2022, MARSHALLTOWN made its largest acquisition to date with the purchase of WAL-BOARD TOOLS, a leading manufacturer of professional drywall tools and accessories out of Long Beach, California. This acquisition helped to solidify MARSHALLTOWN as a world-leader in drywall tools.
At the end of 2023, MARSHALLTOWN acquired BARWALT® Tools, an industry-leading manufacturer of quality, professional tiling tools and accessories. BARWALT® is known for its superior tile spacers and Ultralight™ Knee Pads.
Most recently in 2024, MARSHALLTOWN purchased all assets of VAUGHAN & BUSHNELL Manufacturing Co. (VAUGHAN), known around the world for its superior line of American-made hand tools, such as hammers and pry bars. Also included in the purchase was DASCO PRO, an industry leader in the manufacturing of chisels and punches who was acquired by VAUGHAN in 2018.
New Products
When a better tool is made MARSHALLTOWN will make it! MARSHALLTOWN was the first to offer some of the most innovative changes in its industry. Its innovative spirit has been evident from the very beginning, and its continuous product development has helped the company achieve and maintain its status as the Standard of Quality since 1890.
From the beginning, the Williams brothers customized and improved upon the tools they made for their customers. MARSHALLTOWN introduced its Xtralite® Finishing Trowel in 1928—the forged aluminum mounting was a big change and upgrade from the heavier, malleable iron mounting that had been used for decades. The company also began offering aluminum hawks and darbies as lighter alternatives to the traditional heavier wooden versions. In 1930, MARSHALLTOWN employee J.B. Troutner was issued a patent for a handle that would be molded onto a brick trowel to prevent twisting. MARSHALLTOWN’s innovation continued as the company developed new products like the Enforcer™ drywall texture sprayer, and further improved upon existing products by adding indestructible bumpers to end mushrooming on brick trowel handles and developing patented technology to offer PermaShape® trowels.
Perhaps one of the company’s largest successes came in the early 1990s, when MARSHALLTOWN was the first company to put a soft-grip handle on a construction tool, thereby revolutionizing the hand tool industry. MARSHALLTOWN obtained several patents and registered the DuraSoft® brand name. All its DuraSoft® handles feature a unique black plastic core and a “brick red” soft-grip material that is easily recognized by tradesmen. Today, MARSHALLTOWN offers its familiar “brick red” handles on hundreds of tools, including trowels, taping knives, sanders, and more.
The Future
Marshalltown Trowel changed its name in 2003. The company has long since become more than just a “trowel” supplier. To its customers and others in the industry, the company is known for the best tools and by one name—MARSHALLTOWN.
Since 1890, MARSHALLTOWN has been the manufacturer of choice for quality construction tools and equipment across a wide range of industries, including asphalt, brick/stone, concrete, paint, drywall/plaster, stucco, tiling/flooring, carpet, roofing, snow removal, landscaping, tool and die, auto, carpentry, and demolition. Starting as a small machine shop, MARSHALLTOWN has transformed into a family of Iconic American-Made Tool Brands united by a commitment to innovation, quality, and American manufacturing. The brands include Avalanche! winter tools, BARWALT tiling tools, BULLET flooring cutters, DASCO PRO chisels and punches, VAUGHAN hammers and striking tools, and WAL-BOARD drywall tools. With five Midwest facilities and nearly 10,000 products, MARSHALLTOWN continues to innovate, delivering tools that help get the job done faster, better, and with more ease.
