Air conditioning was coming of age and brought with it a brand new and wide open market for the special tools needed for servicing these systems. In 1967, 39% of all cars produced were factory equipped with air conditioning, and the trend was increasing. Production was ramped up with the opening of a 2,500 square foot manufacturing facility in Milwaukee, WI, and the first 500 orders were filled within six months.Ĭar models were expanding, advancements, such as air conditioning, were increasing and the interstate road system enabled car owners to drive more. They would quickly leave their mark with groundbreaking ideas such as the “magic” green cloth and direct-selling. With this initial success, the Snap-on Wrench Company was formed. Johnson and Seidemann sought out the expertise of Stanton Palmer and Newton Tarble to market and sell their product. Using only these demo sets and brochures, Johnson and Seidemann generated over 500 C.O.D. Joe and his co-worker, William Seidemann, spent weekends using crude bending jigs and pure muscle to fashion two sample sets of five handles and ten sockets. Joseph Johnson, an engineer from Milwaukee, had an idea that would revolutionize repair and make work easier for professional mechanics.įive unique handles and ten sockets that snapped on interchangeably, coined “Five do the work of Fifty,” launched a company that would shape an industry. In 1920, a cultural shift was underway in the United States as the automobile was rising in popularity, creating the need for an emerging automotive repair industry.

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