October 14, 2014
Northbrook, IL – Locally owned Encore Fasteners Inc. formally announced it has changed its name to Encore Hartco, effective immediately. The name change was prompted by the acquisition of the well-known Hartco brand from Stanley Black & Decker on May 31, 2014, and demonstrates Encore’s ongoing commitment to provide differentiated products for the fastening industry and investment in both legacy systems and cutting edge technologies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Hartco products, which have been marketed and sold globally since 1969, are used extensively in the furniture manufacturing industry and complements Encore’s offerings in the bedding, fencing, cage, trap and automotive industries. With the addition of the Hartco brand, the new Encore Hartco is now better positioned to become a single source provider of fastening solutions to global manufacturers. .
Encore Hartco’s decision to add Hartco products serves to assure manufacturing customers that the significant financial investment that a tool or machine purchase represents will be cost effective over time. By committing to supporting new product sales with access to high quality replacement parts, technological expertise, and installation and maintenance services, Encore Hartco aspires to earn the trust of clients who may be wary of change.
“Our customers have come to expect responsive, direct customer service from highly knowledgeable sales and technical staff, and count on receiving trustworthy advice on what tools and fasteners will best fit their needs,” said Don Ayres, Encore Hartco’s president. “Having both brands under one roof allows the insights gained from Hartco’s 45 years of real-world experience to inform the technology and engineering advances that Encore has become known for. In addition to the Eclipser, E-Clips, VRC Machine, and Continuous Coil Clip System, Encore Hartco will now proudly manufacture classic Hartco brand CL Clips, CL Clinching Tools, VRC machines, and clips, plus the AK Machine and clips, the TRK Machine and clips, OSK clips and Locknails.”
Glenn Gustafson, vice president and head of production operations at Encore Hartco, said, “The Hartco brand didn’t just come with 45 years of brand recognition: there were also drawings, tooling, manufacturing equipment, and vendor lists, as well as practical know how gained from hard use on the manufacturing floor all those years. The Hartco brand is fully supported. And if a customer isn’t interested in buying new, he or she will be able to confidently purchase genuine Hartco replacement parts through Encore Hartco, the only ones manufacturing from the brand’s official spec’s.”
By combining resources, implementing changes in materials or ergonomic design when they make sense, and utilizing its robust distribution network to serve markets domestically and overseas, the new Encore Hartco will reinforce its presence in the marketplace while expanding its offerings to significantly more clients, including those in the furniture manufacturing sector.
Encore Fasteners was founded in 2010 in Northbrook, Illinois, and has grown to serve more than 300 global customers on six continents. With over 80 years between them, Encore Hartco management and employee partners boast the most experienced professionals in the specialized collated clip industry. Hartco was founded in 1969 in Wilmette, Illinois, and in 1986 was acquired by the company that came to be known as Stanley Black & Decker. Hartco is best known for its rail clip-type machines, tools and fasteners used in furniture manufacturing.
To learn more about Encore Hartco, please contact
Don Ayres
President