Our Story

The Superior Tool Journey

Superior Tool Company was founded in 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio as a distributor of U.S. Government surplus hand tools from World War II. For the next 50 years, Superior manufactured a range of products, mainly tubing/pipe tools and hex key wrenches that were sold through hardware distribution.

In the late 1980s, Superior created American-made plumbing tools to be merchandised in the plumbing aisles at big box retailers and soon after that at smaller hardware stores and home centers. Retailers everywhere began selling Superior’s professional quality tools to a wide range of end-users and professional plumbers.

By the late 1990s, Superior intensified its development of innovative tools for plumbing, and, in the 2000s, Superior introduced many useful proprietary products such as the SinkDrain Wrench®, Drain Stick™, ShutOff Wrench™, BasinBuddy™ and more. These new products drove company growth, and we were awarded the Weatherhead 100 award as one of the fastest-growing companies in Cleveland.

In August 2020, C.H. Hanson purchased Superior Tool and added it to our company’s family of exceptional brands. Hanson’s dedication to value-based products, outstanding customer service, and commitment to innovation fit perfectly with Superior’s principles. Wherever possible, we embrace U.S. manufacturing instead of a foreign-made product. We always look for American parts and product suppliers who can compete and win in the global marketplace. Many of the parts used in our tubing cutters and other products still come from long-term trusted suppliers in Cleveland.

With a company culture that is intensely focused on serving the needs of users of its tools–and 60 years after its founding–Superior is the dependable source for innovative products that make plumbing jobs faster and easier. Superior Tool stands behind every tool–with lifetime guarantees and a commitment to personal telephone service from knowledgeable full-time company representatives. Superior Tool® – “Make it Happen™.”

History of Recognition

Superior Tool has enjoyed a long history of receiving recognition for innovation, including a number of recent awards:

2020 – C.H. Hanson purchases Superior Tool. Hanson will invest heavily in R&D, marketing to advance Superior’s innovation and production of “plumbing tools for professionals.”
2007 – eVolution in Manufacturing Award from Cleveland-based MAGNET (Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network) and Smart Business magazineDealer Design Silver Award in the Tool Category from Air Conditioning | Heating | Refrigeration News magazine
2007 – Power of Partnerships Award with Tecate Industries, a division of the Tecate Group and San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies
2007 – eVolution in Manufacturing Award from Cleveland-based MAGNET (Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network) and Smart Business magazine
2007 – Recognized by the American Hardware Manufacturers Association for 60 years in business
2002 – Nortech Innovation Award for the DrainStick™
2001 – Outstanding Partnership Initiatives recognition from Lowe’s
2001 – The Handyman Club of America’s Member-Tested Seal of Approval for the DrainStick™
2001 – Retailer’s Choice Award from Do-It-Yourself Retailing magazine for the DrainStick™
2001 – Nortech Innovation Award for Bayonet Threadless Tubular™
2000 – Finalist in the Innovators in Customer Service category of the Inc./Cisco Growing with Technology Awards
1998 – Outstanding Growth Company, on the Weatherhead 100 List of the fastest growing firms in Northeast Ohio
1997 – Outstanding Growth Company, on the Weatherhead 100 List of the fastest growing firms in Northeast Ohio
1996 – Outstanding Growth Company, on the Weatherhead 100 List of the fastest growing firms in Northeast OhioFor 60 years Superior has stood behind every tool like no other company. Every tool has a lifetime guarantee. Every customer can expect personal telephone service from knowledgeable full-time company representatives. Superior makes it happen.