Hardware Podcasts

Leatherman Tool Group: Tim Leatherman

How I Built This · 31 Jan 2022 · 1h 04m

What this episode covers

Tim Leatherman, founder of Leatherman Tool Group, explains how he spent seven years prototyping a folding multi-tool in his brother-in-law's garage before making his first sale. He details the rejection from knife companies like Gerber and toolmakers like Stanley, who dismissed the device as either not a knife or just a gadget, forcing him to pivot to mail-order catalogs like Cabela's and Early Winters. The company scaled from a garage operation to manufacturing over 3 million tools annually in Portland, Oregon, while navigating challenges like post-9/11 sales slumps and maintaining domestic production despite component sourcing issues.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Leatherman Tool Group, Gerber, Stanley, Black and Decker, Cabela's, Early Winters, Sharper Image, Eddie Bauer, LL Bean, Sears, Bass Pro Shops, U.S. Bank
Products
Leatherman Wave, Pocket Survival Tool

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