Cooper Tools – Duraplyer
Background
Cooper Tools is a trusted and respected manufacturer of wrenches and hand tools; but these American-made products were finding it increasingly difficult to maintain market share, as cheaper imports flooded the category.
Assessment
Updating the drop-forged tool would affect the cost of goods only marginally. In order to compete with low-cost, knock-off products, the client needed to completely rethink the manufacturing process in order to create superior tools more efficiently.
Solution
Through an extensive assessment and innovation program, new products were created that were stronger, more comfortable to use and cheaper to manufacture in the United States. The laminated, 1050-ply steel actually outperformed its drop-forged counterpart. The new design was sold in two sizes (with the same jaw capacity as three sizes of traditional box wrenches) and quickly became the third best-selling hand tool for Home Depot and thwarted the influx of competitors from Taiwan and China. Following the development of the Duraplyer, our team developed a number of other fully adjustable tools. By rethinking its manufacturing process, Cooper Tools is now able to meet all its competitors head on and to expand its product line into new areas.