Ames True Temper

Ames True Temper is a U.S.-based manufacturer and brand house specializing in non-powered lawn and garden equipment. Its portfolio is centered on traditional hand tools and outdoor products, including shovels, rakes, hoes, wheelbarrows, snow shovels, and related equipment for household gardening, landscaping, agricultural work, construction support, and seasonal snow removal. The business operates from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation. The company combines the legacy of Ames with the True Temper name. The Ames business traces its origins to 1774, when Captain John Ames began producing metal shovels in the United States. The company subsequently became associated with a series of shovel and tool businesses, including Baldwin Tool Works, Ames Shovel and Tool Company, Wyoming Shovel Works, Hubbard & Company, Pittsburgh Shovel Company, and Skelton Shovel Company. A 1931 consolidation created the Ames Shovel and Tool Company, which was renamed Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming Company in 1933 and later became the O. Ames Company in 1952. True Temper developed from the Old Stone Forge in Wallingford, Vermont, an operation founded in 1808 that later became the American Fork and Hoe Company. That business adopted the True Temper name in 1949. Ames acquired True Temper from Huffy Corporation in 1999, creating the Ames True Temper combination and bringing two long-established American tool names into one portfolio. For much of its modern history, Ames True Temper was associated with domestic manufacturing as well as brand ownership. Its Harrisburg, Pennsylvania facility had operated continuously since 1876 and was described as producing approximately 85 percent of the wheelbarrows sold in the United States and Canada, with annual output of about 1.7 million units. Griffon later chose to outsource wheelbarrow production to China. The company also reduced its domestic manufacturing footprint through plant closures, including a West Virginia facility that ceased operations in 2005 after the company and the United Steelworkers failed to reach a contract agreement. The Harrisburg plant was closed in 2023. In addition to Ames and True Temper, the portfolio has included brands such as ClosetMaid, Dynamic Design, Garant, Harper, Hound Dog, Jackson, Razor-Back, Southern Patio, Union Tools, and Westmix. These names extend the business beyond basic garden hand tools into storage, landscaping, outdoor living, professional-grade tools, and material-handling categories. The brand is best understood not simply as a single consumer label, but as part of a broader group of outdoor-tool and home-product brands managed within Griffon Corporation. Ames True Temper primarily competes through breadth of assortment, established brand recognition, functional design, and distribution through retail and professional channels. Its products are generally durable, manually operated tools intended for repeated outdoor use rather than technologically complex equipment. Publicly available reference material does not establish a complete current executive roster, detailed financial results for the subsidiary, or a definitive standalone operating website. The business remains active as a Griffon subsidiary, although its manufacturing history reflects the broader shift of labor-intensive tool production from the United States to overseas suppliers.

The history of Ames True Temper combines the development of the Ames shovel business with the later history of True Temper. Ames traces its origins to 1774, when Captain John Ames began manufacturing metal shovels in the United States. The Ames enterprise became linked with several established shovel and tool operations over time. In 1931, a consolidation brought together Baldwin Tool Works of Parkersburg, West Virginia; Ames Shovel and Tool Company of North Easton, Massachusetts; Wyoming Shovel Works of Wyoming, Pennsylvania; Hubbard & Company of Pittsburgh; and Pittsburgh Shovel Company. The combined business was named the Ames Shovel and Tool Company. It later absorbed Skelton Shovel Company of Dunkirk, New York, was renamed Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming Company in 1933, and became known as the O. Ames Company in 1952. The True Temper lineage developed separately. The Old Stone Forge in Wallingford, Vermont, was established in 1808 and eventually became the American Fork and Hoe Company. In 1949, the company adopted the True Temper name. True Temper became a recognized name in garden, agricultural, and outdoor hand tools, while Ames retained its historical association with shovels and other digging implements. Ames acquired True Temper from Huffy Corporation in 1999. The transaction united the two brands and produced the Ames True Temper organization. The combined company focused on non-powered lawn and garden products, including digging tools, rakes, hoes, wheelbarrows, and snow-removal equipment. Its products served both consumer and professional outdoor-work markets. Domestic manufacturing was an important part of the company's identity. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania plant had operated continuously since 1876 and was reported to manufacture roughly 85 percent of the wheelbarrows sold in the United States and Canada, producing approximately 1.7 million wheelbarrows annually. The company also operated facilities elsewhere in the United States. In 2002, Ames closed one of its two lawn-and-garden plants in Wood County, West Virginia. The West Virginia facility later closed in September 2005 after the company and the United Steelworkers union failed to reach a new contract agreement. Following Griffon Corporation's ownership of Ames True Temper, the group decided to outsource wheelbarrow production to China. This reflected a shift away from the company's earlier domestic manufacturing model. The Harrisburg plant, one of the most historically significant facilities associated with the business, ultimately closed in 2023. The closure marked the end of a manufacturing operation with roots extending over more than a century. The modern portfolio has included Ames and True Temper as well as a number of additional brands: ClosetMaid, Dynamic Design, Garant, Harper, Hound Dog, Jackson, Razor-Back, Southern Patio, Union Tools, and Westmix. These brands cover garden hand tools, professional landscaping equipment, material-handling products, outdoor living goods, and related home products. The corporate identity is therefore broader than the Ames and True Temper labels alone. Ames True Temper is now identified as a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation. Its historical significance comes from the longevity of its shovel and tool businesses, the consolidation of major American tool makers, the integration of the True Temper brand, and the transition from long-established domestic plants toward outsourced production. Available reference material does not provide a complete account of current executives, standalone financial performance, or detailed international operations.

• 2023

  Harrisburg plant closes

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania manufacturing plant closes after operating since 1876.

• 2005

  West Virginia facility closes

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The company's West Virginia facility closes after a contract agreement with the United Steelworkers union cannot be reached.

• 2002

  Wood County plant closure

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  Ames closes one of its two lawn-and-garden-tool plants in Wood County, West Virginia.

• 1999

  Ames acquires True Temper

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  Ames purchases True Temper from Huffy Corporation, creating the combined Ames True Temper business.

• 1952

  Ames business becomes O. Ames Company

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming successor adopts the O. Ames Company name.

• 1949

  American Fork and Hoe adopts True Temper name

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The American Fork and Hoe Company changes its name to True Temper.

• 1933

  Business becomes Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming Company

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The consolidated company adopts the Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming Company name.

• 1931

  Major shovel and tool businesses consolidate

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  Several shovel and tool companies merge into the Ames Shovel and Tool Company.

• 1808

  Old Stone Forge is established

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The Old Stone Forge in Wallingford, Vermont, is founded; the operation later becomes associated with the True Temper name.

• 1774

  Captain John Ames begins making shovels

  [1]Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org

  The Ames business traces its origins to Captain John Ames's production of metal shovels in the United States.

A practical, durable outdoor-tool portfolio serving household gardeners, landscapers, agricultural users, contractors, and winter snow-removal applications.

• Garden hand tools

  Garden shovels

  Shovels are central to the Ames heritage and remain a core part of the portfolio. Products in this category support digging, moving soil, planting, trenching, and general ground preparation. The range is associated with household gardening, landscaping, agricultural work, and other outdoor maintenance tasks.

• Garden hand tools

  Rakes

  Rakes are designed for gathering leaves and lawn debris, leveling soil, preparing planting beds, and maintaining outdoor surfaces. They form part of the company's long-handled garden-tool offering and are aimed at both household users and landscaping applications.

• Garden hand tools

  Hoes

  Hoes support soil cultivation, weeding, furrow preparation, and the maintenance of planting areas. They represent the traditional agricultural and gardening side of the Ames True Temper portfolio and are used in home gardens, landscaping, and general ground work.

• Outdoor material-handling equipment

  Wheelbarrows

  Wheelbarrows are used to transport soil, mulch, leaves, garden waste, construction materials, and other loads across outdoor sites. They have been among the company's most prominent products; the Harrisburg plant was reported to produce about 1.7 million units annually before production was outsourced to China.

• Snow-removal tools

  Snow shovels

  Snow shovels are seasonal outdoor tools for clearing driveways, walkways, residential areas, and other surfaces during winter. The category extends the brand beyond year-round gardening into weather-related maintenance and seasonal retail demand.

• Professional landscaping and construction tools

  Razor-Back professional tools

  Razor-Back is one of the brands associated with the Ames True Temper portfolio and is positioned toward professional users of landscaping, construction, and heavy-duty outdoor tools. The range complements the more general-purpose Ames and True Temper offerings.

• 2023

  Close the Harrisburg manufacturing plantStrategy

  Background

  The Harrisburg plant had operated continuously since 1876 and was one of the company's most historically significant manufacturing sites.

  Action taken

  Ames True Temper closed the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania plant.

  Aftermath

  The closure ended more than a century of production at the facility and completed a major reduction in the company's traditional Pennsylvania manufacturing footprint.

  Source

• 2005

  Close the West Virginia facilityStrategy

  Background

  The company was unable to reach a contract agreement with the United Steelworkers union.

  Action taken

  Ames True Temper closed its West Virginia facility in September 2005.

  Aftermath

  The closure further reduced the company's domestic manufacturing presence.

  Source

• 1999

  Acquire True Temper from HuffyM&A

  Background

  Ames and True Temper were established names in the American shovel, garden, and outdoor-tool sectors, but operated separately before the transaction.

  Action taken

  Ames purchased True Temper from Huffy Corporation and combined the businesses under the Ames True Temper identity.

  Aftermath

  The transaction created a broader portfolio of established garden and outdoor-tool brands.

  Source

• Outsource wheelbarrow production to ChinaStrategy

  Background

  The Harrisburg operation had historically supplied a large share of wheelbarrows sold in the United States and Canada.

  Action taken

  Griffon decided to move wheelbarrow production to China.

  Aftermath

  The decision shifted a major product category away from the company's historic domestic manufacturing base.

  Source

1. 1Ames True Temperen.wikipedia.org