Taylor Industrial Tools is celebrating its 60th year of business in Overland, Missouri.
In 1936, George and Vivian Taylor bought a home in Overland, Missouri to start their family. George was in the hardware business managing Human Brothers Hardware in Clayton, Missouri.
Prior to 1954, the Louis A. Worth Hardware Company was located at 10434 Lackland Rd. George bought the business, building and lot from Mr. Worth upon his retirement. With wife Vivian and son
Tom, George immediately opened for business as Taylor Paint & Hardware Co. focusing on hardware, plumbing supplies, glass, commercial coatings, lawn & garden, equipment and electrical supplies. Taylor Paint & Hardware served both retail and commercial contractors throughout greater St. Louis. George was also known to serve as local bicycle repairman to the neighborhood children.
Soon after opening, Vivian began selling candle-making supplies on a folding table within the hardware store. Within short order, Vivian's product lines and clientele grew to a point where the folding table was too small, then display cases were too small and finally the hardware store was too small. Vivian's business needed it own space. A separate building was constructed and with its completion, Vivian began doing business as the Back Door Candle Division serving local and regional customers as the Midwest Stocking Distributor for the country's largest candle mold and product producer, Pourette of Seattle, Washington. With Vivan's retirement in 1980, Ellender Taylor became manger of the Back Door Candle Division and continued to serve a growing clientele. Ellender continues to serve as manager today.
The 1960s brought about a change in focus. George's son Tom returned from active duty with US Navy and began to transform the traditional paint and hardware supplier into a wholesale distributor of hand tools serving industrial clients within construction and manufacturing sectors.
In 1962, Taylor Paint & Hardware was solicited by the Pendelton Tool MFG Co. to become wholesale distributor for their Proto line of industrial hand tools. Thus, Tom created Taylor Industrial Tools, Inc. to handle the new industrial focus. In short order, he expanded the breadth of hand tool line adding Channellock, Stanley, Klein, Knipex, Millers-Falls, Vice-Grip and Rigid to name a few. Taylor Industrial Tools was supplied by 52 factories throughout North America. From 1960 to 1972, Taylor Industrial Tools was hired by the Bechtel Corporation as the sole-source provider of industrial supplies for the construction of the Labadie Power Plants 1, 2, 3 and 4. By 1965, to accommodate the growing industrial market, Taylor Industrial Tools doubled its warehouse capacity and added a loading dock for over-the-road deliveries.
Taylor Industrial Tools business philosophy has been to supply the highest quality American made hand tools to makers in the aerospace, defense, railroads, refining, utilities, automotive/truck parts stores, salvage, technical schools, manufacturing, mining, agriculture or state/local highway/transportation/public works departments. Throughout St. Louis, whether it be a power-plant, bridge, lock and dam, factory, utility, monument or office building; hand tools provided by Taylor Industrial went into its construction.
The Taylor family, Tom, Ellender and their sons Tony, Patrick, and Tim are all graduates of the Ritenour School District and agree that Overland is a great place to live and work. Taylor Industrial Tools is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.