After purchase, General Tools maintains focus

General Tools & Instruments, a Manhattan-based tool manufacturer with a storied history, has been acquired by private equity firm High Road Capital Partners.

Founded in 1922, General Tools & Instruments is a designer and developer of precision specialty hand tools and handheld test instruments for consumers and professionals.

Current General Tools CEO Joe Ennis will continue to lead the company. Ennis and other members of General Tools’ management team invested in the transaction, along with High Road.

“General remains focused on providing its customers with feature-rich, value-oriented specialty hand tools and test instruments,” Ennis said. “We look forward to working with High Road and continuing the company’s successful expansion.”

General Tools & Instruments’ products are available in big-box and specialty retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, Ace Hardware and True Value Hardware stores, and through industrial distributors, such as Grainger, MSC Industrial Supply and McMaster-Carr. 

High Road praised General Tools as a third-generation, family-run operation with an enviable customer base.

“General Tools & Instruments has a solid position as a leading provider of specialty hand tools and instruments across multiple industries, with a product portfolio of more than 1,500 SKUs,” said Jeff Goodrich, High Road partner. “Its strengths include an exceptional product development capability through which the company introduces new and innovative tools annually and provides professional-grade products to consumer markets.”