SKIL

SKIL is an American manufacturer of DIY and gardening power tools. It was founded by a young engineer, Edmond Michel. He came up with a tool to make work in the sugar cane fields less arduous. In his workshop in New Orleans, he developed the mechanical machete in 1923. When Michel published his patent in the newspaper, Joseph W. Sullivan, a developer specialising in agricultural land, read the article during a trip and decided to meet the inventor. The two set up a company and developed the "Skilsaw", an electric saw. In 1926, the company took the name of its flagship product. Two years later, the company began using aluminium - the first tool company to do so, because it was so light. This enabled the company to market its first portable electric saw, the "Model E". This was followed by the Model 77 and electric drills, then electric screwdrivers, self-scrolling jig saws, impact spanners, angle grinders with swivelling protective housings, electromechanical percussion drills, shredders, hedge trimmers and chainsaws. In 1966, the 10 millionth Skil power tool was produced. Today SKIL is part of the Bosch group.