Over the past 15 years, Stanley Tools has consolidated the hardware industry by making more than 100 acquisitions. Iconic brands including Black and Decker, DeWalt, Craftsman, Irwin and Facom are all part of the company that is now known as Stanley Black & Decker (SBD).

Part of the continual efforts to help align the company’s expanded global workforce and operations included creating a purpose for Stanley Black & Decker: For Those Who Make the World. Against this backdrop, the 175^th anniversary of the company was quickly approaching.  The anniversary milestone created an opportunity, but also a challenge. How could the milestone be leveraged in a way that would make it relevant to the entire enterprise and align with the company’s purpose?

One of the highlights of the campaign was the discovery of STANLO, a children’s toy developed and marketed by Stanley during the Great Depression, when home construction slumped and the company needed a revenue stream. The company put its employees to work manufacturing the toy, which was seen as a Depression-era LEGO set.

The STANLO story, uncovered by History Factory researchers, was a seminal part of the 175^th—a demonstration of how the company lived its purpose in the past. STANLO became an icon intended to help employees conceptualize how each of the brands was a pivotal piece that contributed to the strength of the organization’s purpose.