The Eastern Company
The Eastern Company is a United States-based engineering and manufacturing company producing industrial hardware, security systems, and specialized metal components.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Eastern Company is an American engineering and manufacturing enterprise headquartered in Naugatuck, Connecticut. Its business has historically centered on engineered hardware, locking and security equipment, and specialized metal products for industrial and commercial customers. The company’s product portfolio has included mechanical and electronic locks, latches, hinges, vehicle hardware, access-control equipment, coin- and value-security systems, mine-roof expansion anchors, railroad brake couplers, construction clamps, and electrical fittings. The business originated in 1858, when B. B. Tuttle and J. H. Whittemore established an ironworks known as Tuttle & Whittemore. Demand increased substantially during the American Civil War as the company supplied iron products and related manufactured goods. The enterprise subsequently changed names as its operations developed: it became Naugatuck Malleable Iron Company in 1887 and was incorporated as Eastern Malleable Iron Company in 1912. In 1961, following decades of plant consolidation and acquisitions, it adopted the name The Eastern Company. A major transformation occurred from the 1930s through the postwar period. The company closed several plants, acquired Eberhard Manufacturing Company of Cleveland in 1936, purchased Frazer & Jones of Syracuse in 1944, and bought Eastern Castings Corporation of Newburgh in 1947. It also acquired Pattin Manufacturing Company in 1955 and closed its Wilmington foundry in 1961. These moves shifted the business toward a broader portfolio of engineered components and industrial products rather than a single-foundry model. From the 1960s onward, Eastern used a combination of acquisitions and divestitures to broaden its capabilities. Businesses associated with locks, vehicle hardware, castings, materials, and specialized industrial components became part of its operating history. By the 2010s, the company organized its activities into three principal segments: Industrial Hardware, Security Products, and Metal Products. Its international operating structure included subsidiaries or affiliated operations such as Eberhard Hardware Manufacturing in Canada, Sesamee Mexicana in Mexico, World Lock in Taiwan, and World Security Industries in Hong Kong. The company continued expanding through targeted acquisitions in the 2010s. In 2017 it acquired Velvac, a United States manufacturer serving medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks. In 2019 it acquired Big 3 Precision, a provider associated with plastic packaging. These transactions extended Eastern beyond traditional iron and lock manufacturing into commercial-vehicle equipment and precision packaging-related capabilities. The Eastern Company was formerly publicly traded under the symbol EML. It was later acquired by Steel Partners Holdings L.P. and became privately held. Its continuing identity is that of a diversified industrial manufacturer serving business-to-business markets, with its brand heritage rooted in metalworking, security hardware, and engineered components rather than consumer-facing mass marketing.
History
The Eastern Company traces its origins to 1858, when B. B. Tuttle and J. H. Whittemore founded an ironworks called Tuttle & Whittemore. The company developed in Naugatuck, Connecticut, an area with an established industrial and metalworking base. Its products found increased demand during the American Civil War, helping the young business expand its sales and manufacturing activity. In 1887 the enterprise adopted the name Naugatuck Malleable Iron Company. It was incorporated as Eastern Malleable Iron Company in 1912, reflecting the formal development of the business and its focus on malleable-iron production. During the 1930s, management undertook a substantial restructuring. Four of the company’s six plants were closed, while resources were directed toward acquisitions and consolidation. In 1936, the company purchased Eberhard Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, adding an established hardware and manufacturing operation. Expansion continued during and after the Second World War. Eastern acquired Frazer & Jones, a malleable-iron company in Syracuse, New York, in 1944. In 1947 it acquired Eastern Castings Corporation of Newburgh, New York. The company later bought Pattin Manufacturing Company of Marietta, Ohio, in 1955. A Wilmington foundry was closed in 1961, the same year the company changed its name to The Eastern Company. These actions reduced duplicated capacity while increasing the breadth of the company’s manufacturing base. The decades after 1960 brought further acquisitions and divestitures. The company’s historical portfolio included businesses and product lines connected with locks, vehicle equipment, castings, materials, and other specialized industrial hardware. This activity gradually moved Eastern away from a narrowly defined foundry identity and toward a diversified group of engineered-product businesses. By the early twenty-first century, the company’s activities were organized around three broad segments: Industrial Hardware, Security Products, and Metal Products. Industrial Hardware included locks, latches, hinges, sleeper boxes, and related equipment used in vehicles and in agricultural, educational, military, sports, fire, medical, and industrial applications. Security Products included electronic and mechanical locking devices, timers, drop meters, coin-security products, smart-card and related equipment, value-transfer stations, access-control units, and security products for luggage, furniture, laboratories, commercial laundry, consumer equipment, and gaming markets. Metal Products included mine-roof expansion anchors, railroad brake couplers, construction clamps, and electrical fittings. Eastern also developed an international operating footprint. By 2013, its principal subsidiaries included Eberhard Hardware Manufacturing in Canada, Sesamee Mexicana in Mexico, World Lock in Taiwan, and World Security Industries in Hong Kong. This structure supported the company’s ability to manufacture and sell specialized hardware and security products across North American and Asian markets. The company continued its acquisition strategy in the 2010s. In 2017 it purchased Velvac, a United States manufacturer serving medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks. In 2019 it acquired Big 3 Precision, a plastic-packaging provider. These transactions added transportation-related and packaging capabilities to a business historically associated with iron products, locks, and industrial hardware. The Eastern Company was formerly a publicly traded company with the ticker EML. It was subsequently acquired by Steel Partners Holdings L.P. and ceased to operate as a standalone public company. Its industrial heritage and operating identity remain associated with specialized hardware, security systems, metal components, and engineered manufacturing for business customers.
- 2019
Acquired Big 3 Precision
[1]The acquisition broadened the company’s portfolio into plastic packaging-related manufacturing.
- 2017
Acquired Velvac
[1]The transaction added products for medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks.
- 1961
Adopted the name The Eastern Company
[1]Following plant consolidation and the closure of its Wilmington foundry, the company adopted its present name.
- 1955
Acquired Pattin Manufacturing Company
[1]Eastern purchased the Marietta, Ohio, manufacturer during its postwar acquisition program.
- 1947
Acquired Eastern Castings Corporation
[1]The acquisition of the Newburgh, New York, casting business expanded Eastern’s industrial manufacturing base.
- 1944
Acquired Frazer & Jones
[1]The company acquired the Syracuse malleable-iron works as part of its postwar manufacturing expansion.
- 1936
Acquired Eberhard Manufacturing Company
[1]Eastern purchased the Cleveland-based manufacturer, strengthening its hardware and component operations.
- 1912
Incorporated as Eastern Malleable Iron Company
[1]The enterprise was incorporated under the Eastern Malleable Iron Company name.
- 1887
Renamed Naugatuck Malleable Iron Company
[1]The company adopted a new name reflecting its malleable-iron manufacturing activities.
- 1858
Company founded as Tuttle & Whittemore
[1]B. B. Tuttle and J. H. Whittemore established the ironworks that became the foundation of The Eastern Company.
Products and positioning
A diversified industrial manufacturer positioned around engineered reliability, physical security, specialized hardware, and metal-component expertise for commercial, transportation, infrastructure, and industrial customers.
Industrial hardware
Industrial Hardware
This segment covers locks, latches, hinges, sleeper boxes, and related engineered hardware. Applications have included agricultural, educational, military, recreational, emergency-service, medical, vehicle, and general industrial equipment. The segment is oriented toward original-equipment manufacturers and specialized commercial users that require durable components integrated into larger products.
Security equipment
Security Products
Security Products includes mechanical and electronic locking devices and associated equipment. Historical offerings have included timers, drop meters, coin-security products, smart-card equipment, value-transfer stations, access-control units, and security hardware for luggage, furniture, laboratories, commercial laundry, consumer equipment, and gaming applications.
Metal components
Metal Products
The Metal Products segment supplies specialized components used in infrastructure and industrial systems. Its product range has included expansion support anchors for mine roofs, couplers for railroad braking systems, construction clamps, and fittings for electrical installations.
Commercial-vehicle equipment · 2017
Velvac products
Velvac expanded Eastern’s presence in equipment for medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks. The acquisition added a transportation-focused manufacturing business to the company’s portfolio of engineered hardware and industrial products.
Plastic packaging · 2019
Big 3 Precision products
Big 3 Precision brought plastic-packaging-related manufacturing capabilities into The Eastern Company’s portfolio, complementing its established metalworking, hardware, and security businesses.
Brand decisions
2019
Added plastic-packaging capabilities through Big 3 PrecisionM&ABackground
The company continued to diversify beyond its historical focus on metal components, locks, and industrial hardware.
Action taken
Eastern acquired Big 3 Precision, a plastic-packaging provider.
Aftermath
The acquisition extended the company’s manufacturing scope into packaging-related products.
2017
Expanded into commercial-truck products through VelvacM&ABackground
Eastern was pursuing acquisitions that could extend its engineered-product and industrial-market capabilities.
Action taken
The company acquired Velvac, a manufacturer serving medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Eastern’s exposure to transportation equipment and commercial-vehicle customers.
1936
Consolidated operations and acquired EberhardM&ABackground
The company was restructuring its manufacturing footprint during the 1930s and had closed four of six plants.
Action taken
It acquired Eberhard Manufacturing Company while continuing to reduce excess plant capacity.
Aftermath
The move strengthened the company’s hardware capabilities and helped redirect the business toward a more consolidated product portfolio.
Recent events
The Eastern Company sells Frazer & Jones[2]
The Eastern Company announced that it had sold its Frazer & Jones foundry business; the transaction terms were not disclosed.
Eastern completes sale of Greenwald Industries[3]
Reported:
The Eastern Company announced that it had sold its Greenwald Industries business and said the transaction was completed on November 4, 2021. The transaction terms were not disclosed.
Sources3 sources
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