Marshalltown 33-13 London Durasoft 13”

Marshalltown 33-13 London Durasoft 13”

Williams Brothers Begin

In 1890, Jesse and Lester Williams started a small machine shop on East Church Street, repairing bicycles and automobiles, and fulfilling occasional tool orders for local contractors. One local plasterer asked that they customize some tools for him. The customer was pleased with the improved product and more requests trickled in. The Williams brothers made a few more trowels and put them on the market. Word traveled fast and they began receiving orders from outside of the state. Their small shop quickly grew into a manufacturing and mail order business, and the brothers thought they were doing quite well. 

The men needed more space, so they moved to South 8th Avenue in 1902. They built a two-story machine shop, blacksmith shop, and automobile shop, as well as a boiler, engine room, and office. They began specializing in trowels and referred to that part of business as “Marshalltown Trowel Works.” Sales increased. The brothers and salesman Albert Higgin officially incorporated “Marshalltown Trowel Company” in 1905. 

The Future

Marshalltown Trowel changed its name in 2003. The company has long since become more than just a “trowel” supplier and now offers over 7,000 products for professionals and do-it-yourselfers in asphalt, concrete, drywall, masonry, paint, snow, and tile. To its customers and others in the industry, the company is known for the best tools and by one name—MARSHALLTOWN. 

A long way from the small machine shop the Williams brothers began in 1890, MARSHALLTOWN is now one of the largest tool manufacturers in the world. Despite its growth and innovation, the company has stayed true to its roots. It still manufactures tools with superior quality and still uses honesty and square dealing. However, staying true to its roots does not mean it hasn’t changed. MARSHALLTOWN continues to make major improvements to its infrastructure and manufacturing and distribution processes to ensure that it can continue to serve its customers well into the future.