Vermont American
Vendor Website
Reiss Product Page
Vermont American Power Tool at Reiss
About Vermont American Power Tool
When Lee B. Thomas, Sr. founded American Saw & Tool Co. in November of 1947, he was aware of the progress in the development and popularization of power tools and the inevitable need for replacement of cutting tools that did the job. Mr. Thomas, who had come to Louisville from Chicago a year earlier to manage American Elevator Co., had a long history in the hardware business. As a boy, he worked in his father’s hardware store and during college he studied merchandising. Afterwards he worked for the Ernst Hardware Co. and later became a buyer for R.H. Macy Co., as head of the hardware department. Later, he spent 12 years with Butler Brothers in charge of merchandising. In addition, he also had spent several years as President of Ecko Products, a manufacturer of houseware goods. These combined experiences equipped him to embark on his own major venture, the implementation of his “replacement tool” idea. American Saw & Tool commenced business with one customer, Sears, Roebuck & Co.; one product, a circular saw blade; and one plant, the old American Elevator plant in Louisville, Kentucky. The first shipment of saw blades left Louisville the first week of January in 1948.
Assisting Mr. Thomas were two former American Elevator employees, W.E. (Gene) Cowley, handling the engineering functions, and John Beam, who managed administrative matters. At first, some of the old American Elevator equipment was used to develop a prototype saw blade. Later, grinders, gear cutters and war surplus machines were adapted to expand the business with its modest capital. Many of the Vermont American products described in this timeline have been designed and first produced through the efforts of Gene Cowley. Additionally, he has provided leadership to the Corporate Engineering group throughout five decades of operation. This group has been instrumental in developing a substantial portion of the Company’s manufacturing processes and specialized equipment for the production of power tool accessories.
Vermont American has been a pioneer and innovator in delivering value to both consumers and retailers for over 60 years.