About Us
Since our founding more than 100 years ago, ITW has become one of the world’s leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, consumables, and related service businesses.
ITW’s products and solutions are at work all over the world, in deep-sea oil rigs, aerospace technology, bridges and wind turbines, healthcare, the spaces in which we live and work, the cars we drive, and the mobile devices we rely on. We are never, whether we know it or not, more than a few steps from an innovative ITW solution.
You’ll find ITW’s solutions around the world. ITWs innovative fasteners, snap-in door handles, powertrain, refueling systems and other components make your vehicle more road-worthy, convenient and affordable. And at the mechanic’s shop, our maintenance products help keep those cars on the road longer.
ITW is committed to operational excellence and innovation that helps our customers create the products and services that make our lives better.
OUR HISTORY
In 1912, Chicago financier Byron Smith placed an ad in the Economist looking to provide capital to a “high class business (manufacturing preferred) in or near Chicago.” He turned down several initial offers, waiting for the right proposal. When a group of inventors with an idea to improve gear grinding came along, Illinois Tool Works was born. From these humble beginnings, the company endured the uncertainties of war and recessions, expanded into businesses across the globe, and transformed entire industries through simple yet ingenious solutions.
OUR INNOVATIONS
The ability to invent, envision, and create something new is central to ITW’s longevity and profitable growth. Our innovation is “80/20 enabled,” meaning that we draw deep insights from our key customer relationships, and then focus our efforts on designing and patenting new products and components that solve their specific challenges. Encouraging new ideas—whether they come from engineers, chemists, or other members of the ITW team—and providing a supportive, entrepreneurial framework, has produced ITW’s strong culture of sustainable differentiation through innovation.
