Kirke R Wilson opened a garage in Arcade, New York in 1907. The automotive age had just begun. Wilson had to fabricate tools for special service needs. He started selling these out of his service station. A factory was established in 1920. In 1925, Henry Ford was convinced of the importance of the Ford franchise. Wilson was now selling annual Ford service kits to Ford dealers. A training school was established at the factory. Mechanics and service managers attended a 30-day training course. The school was expanded to include around 40 American cities and 30 Foreign.
Annual catalogs were being published. Quality tools from other manufacturers were included under the KRW name. These included Starrett, Milburn, Huffman, Athol, Apex, and Williams. Ford tractor dealers also received catalogs with service kits. KRW catalogs included every item a garage could used including filing cabinets and parts bins. They even sold washing machines to keep the staff looking spiffy.
Return to Home Page
