Just to be clear, this is not one of those posts where I am able to answer the title question.
Prologue – ToughBuilt is Back on My Radar
The story starts in late 2020, when ToughBuilt messaged me on Instagram:
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Would you like some tool gear to review?
My response was basically: Sure, I haven’t tried any ToughBuilt tools in quite a few years. What did you have in mind?
I also mentioned not seeing the brand since they were in Sears’ holiday gift center back in 2011.
I never heard back, aside from them telling me ToughBuilt is now at Lowe’s.
Then on December 16th:
Do you have a gift or product roundup that offers ideas for the working man? The union guy, the hard working blue collar worker?
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We hardly see this type of round up and I think it would be perfect!
The best knee pads for the brick layer.
The perfect pouch to transform how professional electricians carry their tools.
The best tool bag to carry on job sites.
The subject line was “gifts for the working man.” They didn’t even mention the brand or products, I had to look at the signature line to see what brand they represented.
9 days before Christmas and 2 weeks before the end of the year isn’t enough time to vet products for a gift guide.
The same thing happened as on Instagram – the conversation ended abruptly and no one got back to me.
This has been a “social media and influencer marketing” trend for some tool brands. If I say anything other than “yes, here is my address,” the conversation ends there.
ToughBuilt Tool Entered New Product Categories
Fast forward to January 2021, and I was curious – why was ToughBuilt reaching out all of a sudden? I learned that a couple of new ToughBuilt tools were coming out at Lowe’s.
See More: ToughBuilt Aviation Snips – Coming Exclusively to Lowe’s
My first post on ToughBuilt’s product expansion has some details on the aviation snips, and some commentary about the product line introduction. But I can’t do that for every post – I need more “meat” for tool coverage.
How does a tool bag company segue into aviation snips and other hand tools?
My second post was on the ToughBuilt Shock Block hammer concept. It’s not a real product (yet), and so I don’t need many details for a theoretical future tool discussion.
ToughBuilt’s social media/influencer marketing team seemed uninterested in working with me/ToolGuyd, but I was still in need of press/media information and insights So, I emailed a Toughbuilt VP that had answered a question for me in the past.
Is there any chance that you could provide me with press releases or fact sheets regarding new ToughBuilt products?
Paraphrasing the response I received:
Product information won’t be on the ToughBuilt website because they are Lowe’s exclusives. We’ll get you the information you need.
Okay.
Shortly after that, apologies come in from the social media/influencer marketing team, and then… nothing.
They conveyed:
If you have more questions or specific needs, let us know and we can answer, or be better informed of how to provide the information about certain product features and such.
Okay, I can be more direct.
Upcoming ToughBuilt Product Categories
Let’s rewind a little bit, so I can explain why I’m so interested in information and insights.
ToughBuilt published some investor relations press releases announcing new tools at Lowe’s, but there’s not much information there. I wanted more information, and it seemed that details and insights would not be forthcoming on their own, and so that’s when I started asking questions.
This isn’t just about aviation snips or a limited new tool launch at Lowe’s. There are a LOT of new ToughBuilt tools coming out, and if each introduction is accompanied by the same paltry level of information as the snips, my ability to report on them will be greatly impeded.
The new ToughBuilt tools and product category entrances look interesting, but how can I post about them if there aren’t sufficient details or insights to ensure high quality content and coverage?
ToughBuilt is planning to launch new hand tools steadily through 2023, and is also scheduled to launch new power tools in 2023-2024.
ToughBuilt power tools?!
And, ToughBuilt tech, specifically electronics, rugged devices, and apps, are scheduled to start launching this year.
ToughBuilt PPE gear and apparel are also set to start launching in 2021.
Can you see why I’m curious and hopeful for more information and greater insights?
These are a lot of new product categories, and for a brand whose core product focus has been on tool bags and accessories.
ToughBuilt has been largely invisible (at least to me) for more than 9 years, and now all of a sudden they’re launching products in how many new categories?
And if ToughBuilt is launching many if not all of these new tools exclusively at Lowe’s, there are going to be a lot of readers wondering and asking questions about what they’re seeing in stores.
ToughBuilt 2021 – 2023 New Tool Roadmap
ToughBuilt says that they will be launching 43 more product lines by 2025. That’s very ambitious for any brand, especially for a somewhat niche brand like ToughBuilt.
ToughBuilt did not send any press/media information about the aviation snips or other newly launched tools when I asked for details, and their last response suggested that maybe it would be best to ask specific questions.
After several rounds of emails and messages, I didn’t learn a single thing about their new products. So, it was time to be direct.
Here’s What I Asked ToughBuilt
I can be direct, and apologize if my frank tone comes across rudely as this is not the intent.
For most of the past 10 years, ToughBuilt has been largely invisible. I noticed zippered tool pouches on Amazon in 2018, and that was the only product I noticed since spotting (and buying some) tool pouches with a clip gimmick back in 2011.
I posted about the aviation snips when I first asked for information.
Why should a user purchase these ToughBuilt aviation snips over Lenox, Wiss, Milwaukee, Midwest, and other popular brands?
As far as I am aware, these are ToughBuilt’s first hand tools, and first aviation snips.
Right now, the only selling point I can see is that they’re a novelty, but one without apparent functional benefits.
I checked my local Lowe’s, and they didn’t even have this on the shelf. So if a user is shopping online, with the wealth of options available to them, why buy ToughBuilt?
Is this just a “me too” effort?
Knives
Shears
Levels
Lasers
Work Support
Tape Measures
Screwdrivers
Hammers
Pliers
Tool Boxes
Utility Knives
Gloves
Clamps
Hand Saws
Garage Storage
Mobile and Pro Apps
Power Tools and Accessories
Long-established tool brands have difficulty competing in some of these markets. Bigger names are slapping their brands on power tools – New CAT Cordless Power Tools??. Bigger brands with huge R&D budgets and mature talent struggle to innovate in these product categories.
Why does ToughBuilt think it can do better? How is it doing better?
As an editor and tool user, there is frustratingly little information and details surrounding the products recently launched.
If all of this is too much to answer, we can start with one question: Why should a user buy ToughBuilt aviation snips? [Because of the lack of information and insights,] I cannot answer this question as a user, or someone who’s supposed to have the answers.
I was neutrally toned (as opposed to candidly critical) in my post, as I have allowed myself to be optimistic that ToughBuilt isn’t just a me-too brand that’s slapping its name on 3rd party Olympia, Great Star, or other OEM designs that are tweaked just enough to give them a unique appearance.
I was hoping that you would have fact sheets, sell sheets, press releases, anything to help [me] communicate something about these new products.
ToughBuilt convinced Lowe’s to carry its new products, and presumably upcoming SKUs as well, despite Lowe’s having pre-existing and rather strong relationships with brands that cover the same product categories. Surely there must be something special worth communicating.
I am sorry that I wasn’t specific enough in my [previous] inquiries and expressed desire for more information.
No Response – Again
ToughBuilt reached out to me on two platforms and dropped the conversations after I started asking questions.
A broad request for product information did not work.
So, I thought that being completely frank about the answers and insights I was seeking would have worked. Maybe I was too direct in my questioning? Was I inadvertently abrasive?
I understand that it’s easier for brands to scattershot product samples to “influencers” than to answer media/press questions, but I hoped I would have learned something about the new tools by now.
Even a link to the investor relations press releases with a “sorry, this is all we have right now” would have been something.
As of March 2020, ToughBuilt Industries only had 24 full-time employees (as per investor materials). How do they have enough talent and know-how to jump into so many different tool categories and with such an ambitious schedule?
If ToughBuilt cannot or will not answer questions about their new aviation snips, how are they going to sell users like me on their new hammers? Pliers? Tape Measures? Saws? Screwdrivers? Power Tools?
Why does ToughBuilt think it can do better? How is it doing better?
In the absence of press or media information, details, and insights, isn’t this a fair question to ask?
“ToughBuilt: Our Name Says it All” – No, it really doesn’t.
If or when you see these new tools, or you know something about them, please let us know!
JR
All these companies that are pushing their products via “media influencers” are selling to and relying on uninformed consumers. They want you to buy the mystic, the product quality and usefulness are not for sale.
Jared
I am still somewhat optimistic because of my good impression of the Toughbuilt tool bags. Build quality and the price are both good. It is disappointing to be left in the dark about the new tools though.
When you point it out though Stuart, it is a little crazy to think that a small brand would be jumping into that many product categories. That’s a big leap – makes me wonder what spurred the sudden growth. Toughbuilt isn’t that new, why is it suddenly hammers, screwdrivers, snips, clamps, saws, power tools… i.e. a whole slew of new product categories in short succession, instead of just one or two?
Maybe that’s part of the strategy though. E.g. they feel like a certain level of market saturation is necessary to ramp up the brand recognition. It sure would be nice to hear something from Toughbuilt.
Hon Cho
I think there are manufacturers and marketing companies who have determined that “less is more” when it comes to providing information to the public. My semi-educated guess is the relationship between the manufacturer/marketer/distributor and their retailing partners is more influential in the success of companies below the well-known top-tier companies. These less well-known companies focus their efforts on marketing with and within their retail partners’ spheres of influence. When you have exclusive retailers, you only need to market in ways that capture sales to customers already shopping at that retailer and incremental sales that you can lure into the retailer to buy your product. If you have a limited marketing budget and your products are, for example, only in Lowes, you want your product marketing to hit consumers that are likely to shop at Lowes. Hell, if their relationship with Lowes is good, they may even get access to some data that shows how many customers come to Lowes from Toolguyd and other tool-oriented sites. Just guesses on my part, they may have a small budget and a not-so-great social network marketing team. They may be playing pin the tail on the donkey trying to figure out what works.
Matt
Couple of thoughts… Some of their products are innovative enough to be intriguing. So there’s that. At least they aren’t SpecOps tools! lol
The quality of their communication leaves a lot to be desired. I hope it’s just some junior-level marketing staffer and not indicative of the company/team as a whole.
I’d bet you a beer of your choice the management team is trying to grow for the sole reason of selling to holding company or private equity group. Which is kind of a shame because if the brand felt a little more relatable the products would be a more compelling purchase. As it is they are just some faceless (literally, no photos on their website management page or even their founder/CEO/president’s LinkedIn profile) corporation.
Hon Cho
“As it is they are just some faceless (literally, no photos on their website management page or even their founder/CEO/president’s LinkedIn profile) corporation”
Faceless is a good way to put it. Just a brand that can be sold or traded without baggage. In our shifting sands cancel-culture world, faceless is safer economically for companies trying to thread the needle to success.
Jeremiah Ducate
I was wondering if maybe there was a recent change of ownership or management. Maybe this recent plan to broaden their market share (or markets they share) was the result of being acquired by a private equity group.
Similar thought to Matt but the change already happened.
Stuart
The president/CEO/director has been involved with the brand from the beginning it seems.
While I know there are businesses (and have seen media channels) grown in hopes of acquisition, there’s no basis for making that assumption here.
It looks to me that they’re trying to break out and become a nationally-recognized brand. But are there innovations and advancements built into the new products, or is this mostly a marketing effort with “just because it’s new and different” at the core?
R. Hughey
Over the past year, I have purchased several sets of ToughBuilt fastener bags on Amazon. I have been very happy with these items. The item is (TB-94-M-3) 3 pack
I was interested in the line of snips and went to Lowes to check and did not seen any of their line at my location.
By the way, have you seen the Makita x-lock angle grinders at Home Depot?
Stuart
I haven’t seen the x-lock angle grinders at Home Depot yet.
Accessory availability isn’t very broad yet. Bosch offered test samples a couple of times but never delivered on it, and so I haven’t checked it out in person yet. I also haven’t heard from any readers that have given x-lock a try yet. There aren’t many true user reviews online yet either.
By the time it becomes popular, maybe Bosch will change things up again as they did with OMT blades.
Big Richard
My local HD has the X-LOCK grinders in stock. Not sure what their normal price is/will be, but the lock on switch version has a Special Buy price of $159, and the paddle switch version is $179. I do have some HD gift cards to burn up, half tempted to buy one just to sample/review.
Disc availability, and possibly disc price, seems to be the only downside to them. I love the concept. If some of the other big brands get on board with it, it should help in that regard.
OldDominionDIYer
It seems strange to me that a tool company (or any company for that matter) selling a product, wouldn’t have talking points, feature lists and a profile of advantages of using their product either before or at the launch of a said product, anything other than that creates a real concern to me and causes me to question the entirety of the companies products. I wouldn’t even consider these products unless I had more detailed information, I value my money to much to frivolously spend it on an unproven, or unknown product that I require to perform when I use it, just isn’t happening! With only 24 employees in March 2020 it’s clear to me that these new tools will likely be nothing more than rebranded Chinese versions which doesn’t exactly get me excited about their potential new offerings.
fred
Here’s what Toughbuilt said in their most recently files 10Q
“Since August 2013, pursuant to a Service Agreement, we have been collaborating with Belegal, a Chinese firm, whose team of experts has provided ToughBuilt with additional engineering, sourcing services, and quality control support for our operations in China. “
John N.
“…collaborating with Belegal, a Chinese firm…”
Not really? Be-Legal? Be Legal? That’s too funny. I wonder if Stuart’s mystery story (by the way, lots of very good points made) is actually farce?
Ray
No answers= no buy. If I had a product, you bet I could say how my product is better.
Nathan
SO I always say I’m interested in the competition, I guess I should add usually.
But I don’t see this mentioned but the same company supposedly is the toughbuilt that makes the adaptable sawhorse table system, they have made knee pads and a miter saw stand for quite a while now.
Their sawhorse table system which does require wood to make the table – is quite nice. As far as I know they are the original maker/seller of it. I might be wrong but they were the first I ever saw some years ago. 2014 I think. There are knockoffs
So it appears to be the same company other than these products I don’t know what else they make.
while the aviation snips look like crap to me, the other bits are interesting. That ruggedized tech thing has some promise in my opinion. I mean I case out my mobile that I use alot for projects. but I would love to see an updated something like the CAT phone. Or just a base ruggedized tablet might be nice to have.
I’m cautiously curious – how about that. Their knee pads and the sawhorse are nice products in my opinion.
Kimber Janney
I purchased ToughBuilt Sawhorses at Home Depot about 4 1/2 years ago- they are still in stock there now(Colorado Springs). They are good sawhorses, more versatile than our Trojans and much sturdier than the plastic options.
I purchased a ToughBuilt tool belt rig and assorted pouches the next year after reading an online blog review. The Clip Tech System was intriguing and my old Occidental bags from 1984 were getting long in the tooth. The ToughBuilt bags are pretty good, but one rivet failed on the contractor’s pouch and the plastic belt buckle cracked within a couple of months.
I wrote Toughbuilt and they sent me a new belt with metal buckle and a new pouch right away. It is nice to be able to switch pouches quickly and not carry the the heavier ones around when they are not needed. The suspenders work well, and I have Toughbuilt framers gloves that I like as well.
Note:I am an “old guy” and don’t wear tool belts nearly as much as I used to. So these bags have not yet withstood years worth on real abuse. They do seem pretty well made though not on the level of Occidental.
I would purchase other tool storage, organization, and work support items from Toughbuilt but I am not too keen on actual tools, especially power tools. I trust brands that have been building tools for decades, whose cutting edge designs have more research and experience behind them
blocky
I, too, am interested what they bring to the table. Especially if it’s middle priced, middle quality. A lot of things I buy are ‘put-the-money-where-it-counts’ in terms of design and materials.
Even a lot of budget direct-to-consumer widget manufacturing startups in China have figured out what a boon it is to be very responsive with specs and customer support.
If they can’t say for strategic reasons, they should at least tell you when the information will be forthcoming.
JML
I have several of their small storage bags, which are pretty good. They did have folding bolt cutters available, with mixed reviews at best, but they seem to have disappeared. https://www.amazon.com/ToughBuilt-TB-BC-01002A-18-Inches-Compact-Cutter/dp/B0058T8RW6/
Jared
Those folding bolt cutters look nice actually. I realize whether they work or not will depend on the quality of the jaws and how precisely they are put together – but I like the simple-looking folding design.
Some googling indicates these are also sold under the “Olympia Tools” brand name. I’m not sure which came first or if they are actually identical or just look-alikes.
https://www.amazon.ca/Olympia-Tools-39-114-Cutter-14-Inch/dp/B00GACCOGU/
Jared
P.S. After noticing the bolt cutter similarities, I went over to Olympia Tools’ website to see if maybe Toughbuilt was just getting ready to re-brand all of Olympia’s catalogue… nope. Those bolt cutters seem like the only shared tools between them.
Stuart
The last time I asked ToughBuilt about this, they told me to direct my questions to Olympia Tools.
https://toolguyd.com/olympia-folding-bolt-cutters/
As Jared mentioned, they’re still available under the Olympia Brand: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GABUX9G/?tag=toolguyd-20
Jared
You’re a wealth of knowledge Stuart! I didn’t realize these were already the subject of a review – but probably should have checked.
I laughed but heartily agree with this statement from the review: “Olympia markets a couple of tools I’d never touch, but also some really innovative ones…”
I’ve seen some Olympia pliers and screwdrivers at one of the farm supply stores near me – the only positive about them is that they’re cheap.
King duck
This seems like one of those companies that will release some ni e stuff then slowly devolve into crap
Brian A
For most companies their social media and influencer management is mostly incompetent, its likely some younger professionals managed by those who have no clue. They can’t do anything without management approval and the millennials on the front line are not motivated.
Unless your pushing crappy fashion goods endorsed by celebrities or trends, paid influencers is a waste of resources. But companies want to be involved in all the buzz trends. They want likes on their crappy slave labor fashion goods, be paid in dogecoin, and have advanced analytics visuals immediately.
Jeremy Kane
Personally, I think you are trying too hard to do their job for them. If they can’t be bothered to tell their story, why should you?
Stuart
If I’m wondering about whether there are any reasons to buy these tools, I can assume the same will be true or readers and visitors. I don’t like there being holes in information and insights, which is why I started ToolGuyd 12 years ago.
If all of these tools are expected to launch at Lowe’s, at least some of them will likely take the place of existing tools, and that will have broader impacts beyond some new tools on the shelf.
Jeremy Kane
It’s great you are doing this cause you care. Honestly, then, they owe you big time, cause you are doing work for free that they should be paying for. At very least, they should have someone on staff who’s job it is to do this.
Max Musial
Sounds like stuff I won’t be buying probably made in China or by a Chinese owned company elsewhere and branded as tough built. Made in China can be good but I am guessing these will not be. Also doesn’t it seem like an awfully big investment on Lowes part what with craftman in the last year and mostly exclusive plus the still have kobalt.
Bill
Toughbuilt makes alot of the Kobalt line.
Stuart
No they don’t.
A W
I probably won’t be buying their hand tools unless you start getting more answers, but I will agree that their sawhorses are a great product.
I bought an adjustable pair earlier this year and regretted not having done so years earlier.
They’re well engineered, well built, and a quality product.
JoeM
*Shrug* Don’t buy the new stuff. First off… Lowes exclusivity hurts the consumer. I know we live in this Capitalist Hellscape… but… The reality is it’s a bad move when you narrow your niche demographic like that. Business isn’t that difficult. You’re supposed to market to the niche your product fits into, not try to force a larger number of people into a niche.
Listen, right now my heart rate at the sight of the ToughBuilt name needs to be measured against a Hummingbird’s… You’re going to say “Shut Up Already, Joe!” but I really do drool, and have very inappropriate physical reactions to the thought of owning the C700 Sawhorses… And although I have severely damaged my knees in life, and don’t ever look forward to kneeling, their Knee Pad system makes me weep in that typical Nerd Movie Reference “They Should’ve Sent a Poet” way… And I will completely collapse my moral compass and say that their Octagon-Shaped 30″ Tool Bags and Tote systems will make DeWALT’s tool bags look like Man-Purses instead of Tool Bags. (Though… Really, Tool Bags ARE Man-Purses… Backpacks are Man-Purses too… Us Men just have to be comfortable enough in our masculinity to realize OUR purses contain the same kind of thing a Woman’s purse does, only it’s stuff meant for us. Instead of Lipstick, we may have a Flashlight, or a Pen. These days we BOTH carry Hand Sanitizer if we’re smart. I digress.)
But if ToughBuilt is jumping int 43 more lines of products in the next 5 years… AND they’re going Lowes Exclusive? I’m not sold. I’m out. I’ll buy what they currently sell, and let the rest go on clearance like the Aviation Snips… They WILL Fail if they won’t use the traditional information paths, and remove the Media Influencers from their teams. This is too big a launch to trust to Social Media. If I can buy the items I want, out of the stuff they already make, and then the company goes under for being stupid with their marketing strategies? Then I’m fine with that.
On the upside, I won’t suddenly crave nectar, or have to explain why I’m hiding my groin behind things, as I am looking at ToughBuilt products. Those creepy effects should subside if ToughBuilt becomes one of the “Stupid” companies.
fred
Their recent financial statements do nothing to make their stockholders happy. These new tool launches may be their thought about how to get out of the red ink territory. Perhaps they reached out to their principal customers to see how much interest there might be in the new tool lines. Maybe it was only Lowes that showed any interest – and that interest may have been contingent on an exclusivity deal.
JoeM
Then fred, my dear and wise sage, I should rethink my policy on playing the Lottery, and play a few rounds of BlackJack while I’m at it… Just so I can grab the handful of products I LIKE from them before the company goes under.
Lowes is rapidly becoming the Dollarama/Dollar Tree of the Tool world. Lowest Common Denominator style business practices… And looking at my choice of words… The name is starting to fit in an eerie way I never noticed until this second. I wish I was so clever as to think of that Pun before typing it.
They’re not earning money by better customer service, or better expert advice, or even by reputation of tool companies BIDDING on the right to be sold at their stores. They’re signing Exclusivity agreements, left and right. They’re not in demand at all, they’re making themselves the only place to find the last hope of certain brands’ survival.
It doesn’t bode well. It certainly doesn’t act as an inducement to shop there, where you’ll find what you WANT to find… More likely than not, you’re going to have to find the only one of what you want is from an exclusive deal with one company, to fill a niche. So everyone who walks into Lowes walks out with the same Toolbox deal, the same set of Screwdrivers, the same Hammers, Levels, and the list goes on. The only exclusivity for sizing of heated or safety gear may end up meaning the brand you buy is the one that carries your size.
That’s not good business. It goes against every tenet of supply and demand that exists. CHOICE is what makes a business worth giving your patronage to. If they’re taking the choices away from everyone else, including you, that’s not a Business. And frankly… As much as I may have my heart fluttering for ToughBuilt… If they are a part of this bad decision making, then they do deserve to go under… And yes, I will weep like a mourning spouse at a funeral scene in a movie should that happen. But I would rather a brand die of their bad choices, than support their bad choices out of blind loyalty to them.
Stuart
That’s a bit harsh. You’re way off-base here. If brands that have exclusivity arrangements with retail stores should go under, that’ll remove a lot of choices from the market.
What’s your stance on Coke vs. Pepsi? Often, businesses have to choose what to put in their stores, and so it’s Coca Cola brands or Pepsi brands.
An exclusivity arrangement with retailers can be SMART.
Hypothetically, let’s say that Lowe’s asked for exclusivity. Should ToughBuilt say no? What are their chances of landing at Home Depot? Extremely slim because of the partnerships and arrangements Home Depot has with certain tool brands. Is ToughBuilt going to successfully launch tools at Amazon?
Launching new tools requires volume. It’s not economically feasible to make 100 of a tool. If a hand tool launches exclusively at Lowe’s, that’s x-number of tools at more than 1700 stores in the USA. If Canadian Lowe’s stores are included, the numbers of stores is >2200.
Let’s say each Lowe’s store has a peg on the shelf for one new tool. That’s more than 10,000 tools, maybe more if you include online sales and ware house distribution.
Maybe online sales are still allowed, maybe they’re not.
An exclusivity arrangement between ToughBuilt and Lowe’s is the RIGHT MOVE from a business sense.
If the option is A) exclusivity arrangement – Lowe’s is the only place you could buy this, or B) no exclusivity arrangement and the tools are too cost-prohibitive to manufacture in small quantities.
If not too cost-prohibitive if produced in low volumes, the alternative would be needing to sit on a mountain of inventory that would require a lot of cash. Let’s say you eat one box of pasta each week. Do you buy 1,000 boxes of pasta, or do you only buy what you can eat immediately and in the near future?
I get that you don’t like exclusivity arrangements, but maybe consider judging them on a case by case basis.
JoeM
I actually am judging them on a case per case basis. Economic theory pretty much uses your exact examples as signs that these are the last hope of a dying company.
It’s not a matter of me LIKING a brand, or a store, or my own preferences. I side with the science of how business works, and how Economic Theory says things need to work in order to stay alive, and keep liquid capital.
ToughBuilt is too small to guarantee the numbers for a wider distribution platform. You stated yourself in the article that they don’t even employ more than 30 people, as per their shareholder filings. So if they’re too small to provide the products they already produce (Some awesome products among them) and there isn’t enough interest in what they offer already to support an expansion of the company… That means that adding an EXCLUSIVITY restriction to their products is not going to be helpful, no matter how far it stretches their name. They won’t be able to provide the SUPPLY for the already-minimal demand for their name. They may be EXCLUSIVE to Lowes, but that doesn’t mean their inability to Supply the products they already make will drum up enough FINANCIAL investment to grow and make 45 NEW lines of product for that company either.
So… Yeah… It’s harsh… But, business is pretty heartless compared to us. Do I WANT them to go under? No… I don’t see my C700’s, my Knee Pads, OR my big, Perfect, Tool Bags and Tote Bags around me… I haven’t bought from them what genuinely perks me up about this company, and makes me write comments about my heart racing, and having inappropriate reactions to their products. This is a company I have a genuine hope for. That said… I did study business, among many other fields, and I do come from a Business oriented Family… I can’t turn away from the obvious, tried-and-true reality of ToughBuilt’s unique situation.
They will go under if they are exclusive to Lowes. Because Lowes will already be the lowest-common-denominator store in competition with everyone else. It will cheapen the ToughBuilt brand until it is nothing more than Lowes’ house brand, just like Kobalt. They won’t be able to purchase their entire stocks of these products that they haven’t produced yet, and they won’t be able to move that much inventory for a name that is known for drastically different things.
What they need is a massive influx of investment, and Lowes certainly isn’t going to do that. An Exclusivity Deal doesn’t guarantee a perfect amount of deliveries to every store, nor does it consign Lowes to take on the debt incurred by ToughBuilt making these expansion purchases on borrowed promises of exclusive sales. We could hype them up using Social Media until their name was synonymous with logging onto social media AT ALL… and it wouldn’t magically produce all these items.
That, in business terms, is the death knell for a company. Sure, Lowes keeps signing these Exclusivity Contracts, and they turn out well… when those companies can hedge their bets elsewhere with different product lines. DeWALT doesn’t need the Lowes-Exclusive PowerBoost (or whatever) line, OR the 12 Volt eXtreme CompacT line, in order to make a profit. Everywhere else has the FlexVOLT Advantage line, the TSTAK Line, the standard run of XR and 20 Volt Max tools, including the Heated Gear and Safety Gear. Name a company that has an Exclusivity Contract with Lowes, and I can say for certain that the parent company that makes them can survive perfectly fine without the Lowes distribution. But ToughBuilt? They have no backer. If they’re part of a family, SBD, TTi, Makita, MetaboHPT, Bosch, Apex, Imperial, hell RUBBERMAID? Those brand umbrellas certainly haven’t covered ToughBuilt enough for an expansion into all they’re about to promise to Lowes. ToughBuilt, despite having an ESTABLISHED reputation for a small handful of BELOVED products, isn’t surviving on those products. They’ve exhausted their Niche. The painful reality is… What they NEED? Is to be bought out, or to die. Selfishly, I would still want to buy what I’m drooling over from them before that happens, but that sentiment won’t magically save them.
This is what happens when Capitalism ISN’T properly regulated to keep people from pulling the Short-Stock trick that Reddit readers exploited from happening. And this is what happens when Capitalism gets a hold of Political Interests to gain profit. (Thus ends the Political part of the issue, don’t worry.) The reality of Capitalism is, when a Niche fades, or disappears, it’s up to the company to grow, raise money to pivot their offerings into a new niche they can grow in, and THEN sign contracts with retailers to deliver product. It’s when they are forced to deal with cut-rate retailers at their weakest points, like this one, that we see our favourite brands DIE.
Need I say much about Craftsman? What is it? Empire Level? Lennox? Vice-Grip, Gearwrench, Stanley, Name the Company. When they couldn’t fill their Niche here in North America, it was because the Stock Market was De-Regulated, and their parent companies, or their own executives, were not penalized for moving all those jobs overseas, because there was no legal clause saying you MUST keep X percent of your workforce HERE to keep your business license. One clause, missing because of a lack of regulation on Business affairs on a Global stage.
Now? ToughBuilt can’t pivot. ToughBuilt can’t outsource. ToughBuilt can’t sell itself under another Umbrella to be saved. And they just signed a promise to a distribution network that they can’t supply for. It’s the death-knell for ToughBuilt. So… Whether I love them or not… They just did something that, in Business terms… Was stupid… These things happen. Maybe they can get out of bankruptcy by selling their patents, or their manufacturing properties to bigger corporations so we can see their current designs in other brands? But that’s the last we’ll see of ToughBuilt.
In their “influencer” communications, did it seem like they had their act together? Because what I see is a frantic, desperate company, hoping you know the talking points so they don’t have to explain how they’re going to pull a rabbit out of the fly of their pants, in front of all these eyes looking for what they promised to provide. They’ve skipped the hat. They’re desperate. Desperation will only bring vulture capitalists, and bankruptcy lawyers. Sad, but true fact of Business Economics.
lava
they probably just decided to bring in a range of new product from china – scan Alibaba for clones of their new snips. I wouldn’t be surprised if these are just rebrands of something already in production.
gene
To make a jump from bags to a laundry list of hand tools and eventually power tools, it takes some capitol. Where is the funding coming from to take on such an endeavor? if it is just re-branding an existing product of course that would be cheaper, but entering the power tool market can’t be cheap. Someone is investing some major money. Seems like a gamble with some shaky odds to me.
X lu
Many marketing team members are interested in getting through their next Monday morning meeting with their skin still on. How many influencers did you line up for this last week or did you get the 10 influencers lined up that you promised? This is mostly a numbers game in which all influencers are created equal. Once I hit 10 on to the next thing. I get to keep my job for another week.
Peter Fox
I have no idea what they are thinking trying to get into the hand tool market. Another “Also Ran” option is almost guaranteed to fail in getting the needed market share to last the test of time. I can further understand the frustration of poor communication US based companies seem to think that responding in a timely manner is optional.
That said I love their smaller tool pouches and clip system. at least here in the midwest Menards has been carrying their tool pouch, belt, and tool bag product line for around 10 years. I have been using their TB-CT-22 technician pouch for almost that long. For the price ($13-$14) they are really good. I typically get 2-3 years of daily use at work, carried all day and removed and reattached a dozen times or so per day. The ability to easily remove it to sit down at my desk is really awesome.
The clip system works really well and is surprisingly durable, at least for the smaller pouches. Their original design tended to crack and fail after 6 months or so, it was redesigned pretty early on and the current version holds up about as long as the smaller pouches the I use. I have my doubts that they would hold up or last as long on the larger pouches.
Duston
I went to my local Lowes the other day looking for that $8 deal in the snips. They didn’t have any but they did have the tough built scissors that were shown in one of the product photos.
Al
I wouldn’t mind taking a few samples and then testing it compared to the general brands or looking for any identifiable marks from the OEM. The role of marketers is to put products into the hands of influencers, and as many as possible. They might not know the product, maybe because the product line is so new, and maybe the marketer position as well.
BobD
Hi Stuart,
Sorry to hear they dropped the ball on follow up. That is so unprofessional. However, they have a story to tell.
They have always had an extensive line of products ready for launch. The problem was lack of funds to launch them. Now that they are public and funds are coming in, they have options. Is it too ambitious to do what they are doing? Yes it is. It would seem that they are being trigger happy with release of so many lines (and they are) but the market seems to look for something new and TB is providing it. Lowe’s would not give them time of the day a few years ago but now they have cleared the selves from AWD’s antiquated products to make room for ToughBuilt. I guess Lowe’s is desperately looking to improve their top line. If they can make this TB think work, they are going to stick it to HD for not taking them in first.
Are the products innovative? Some are and some are not.
Clip Tech line is under advertised as it is one of their “star” products. Tool belt and pouch technology has not changed much in the past 100 years. Clip Tech is the only innovation in that area. Whether it is perceived as valuable to the marketplace is something only buyers can answer. In my opinion it is useful and solves a problem. I still think they have not advertised its benefits properly. The quality is as good if not better than the competition and it is priced competitively.
I have a wall of Clip-Tech pouches in my garage and one in my van. It is a breeze to go between wall to van to belt. Tell me that is not convenient.
As far as the pouched themselves, they are superior and there is a difference and it is in the layers. Slice open a TB pouch and one from DeWalt, look at the layers of materials used and you will see the difference, a big difference.
– The sawhorse line is another “star” product. I own two pairs of their top model and it is a great product to use. Lots of 2×4 made table applications for my table saw and other cutting needs.
– The hand tool line offers marginal improvement over the next guy. I am curious about the shock proof hammer though.
– The phone is a big question mark.
– The clothing line could be a winner. If they can deliver Carhartt quality at a more reasonable price, they have a chance to carve a niche for themselves. Look at the CAT line of clothing and accessories. CAT is a licensing deal (external design and manufacturing) where as the TB line is the house brand and design with outsourced manufacturing.
I have other soft good products, bags, knee pads, etc. and they are as good as any out there.
Let’s not forget the international markets. American made still carries a lot of weight out there. Granted these guys are not necessarily American made but they are American designed. Their products are solid because their QC is very good. HD and Lowe’s sell a lot of quality and a bunch of crappy stuff. They are mostly made in China in the same factories. What makes one better than the other is the QC, along with better materials of course.
The company not answering questions does not surprise me. They have substance but as odd as it may sound, they cannot articulate their competitive advantage. I think they are caught up in too much of their excitement (read fluff) and forget that they have a story to tell that would resonate with people.
Michael Schnell
I own stock in tough built and was very interested in finding out more about them. Hence how I found your site. Thank you for being honest with your report. Great journalism
Stuart
Thank you, I appreciate it!