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{{Infobox_Company
| company_name = Porter-Cable
| company_logo = [[File:Porter-Cable logo.png|220px]]
| company_type = [[Subsidiary]] of [[Black & Decker]]
| foundation = 1906 in [[Syracuse, New York]]
| founder = R.E. Porter, G.G. Porter, F.E. Cable
| location = [[Jackson, Tennessee]]
| key_people = Art Emmons
| num_employees =
| industry = Manufacturing
| revenue =
| products = Power tools, pneumatic tools
| homepage = [http://www.deltaportercable.com/ www.deltaportercable.com]
}}

'''Porter-Cable''' is an [[United States|American]] company that manufactures [[power tools]]. The company is known for introducing a number of noteworthy power tools, such as the first portable [[belt sander]], [[helical gear|helical-drive]] [[circular saw]], and portable [[band saw]]. It is a [[subsidiary]] of [[Black & Decker]].

== History ==

Porter-Cable was founded in 1906 by R.E. Porter, G.G. Porter, and F.E. Cable, who, starting with a $2,300 investment, opened a jobbing machine and tool shop out of their garage in [[Syracuse, New York]]. In 1914, the company began to focus on power tools, starting with a line of power [[lathes]]. In 1917, the company bought a plant in on North Salina Street in Syracuse.

In 1926, Chief Engineer Art Emmons invented the portable electric belt sander, called the Take-About Sander, and the company began to develop a niche in portable electric power tools. In 1929, Emmons invented the helical-drive circular saw, a compact, lightweight design that is still the most widely used circular saw design produced today.

In 1960, the company was sold to [[Rockwell International]]. Rockwell made numerous changes, including phasing out the Porter-Cable name, relocating the company's base of operations to [[Jackson, Tennessee]], and creating a lower end of power tools to compete with Black & Decker. These tools had numerous reliability problems and harmed the brand's image.

[[File:US Navy 090718-N-4928B-058 Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Edward Hourican, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40, fastens a sheet of plywood.jpg|thumb|Porter-Cable nail gun in use]]
In 1981, [[Pentair, Inc.]] acquired Rockwell's power tool group—consisting of Porter-Cable and [[Delta Machinery]]—and restored the Porter-Cable name. The company repositioned itself as a manufacturer of professional power tools and ended production of consumer-level tools. In 1989, the company introduced the first electric [[random orbital sander]]. Around this time, the company expanded into broader retail channels, including [[The Home Depot]] and [[Lowe's]], greatly expanding its production in the process.

In 1996, the [[Smithsonian Institution]] established a collection of materials from the company's 90-year history, the first such collection for a power tool company.

In 2000, Porter-Cable consolidated with sister company Delta Machinery, the latter moving its headquarters and distribution center from [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] to Jackson. The same year, Pentair acquired [[DeVilbiss Air Power Company]] and, in 2002, Porter-Cable expanded its line-up to include [[air compressors]], [[air tools]], [[engine-generator|generators]], and [[pressure washers]].

In 2005, the Pentair Tools Group—comprising Porter-Cable, Delta Machinery, DeVilbiss Air Power, and others—was purchased by [[Black & Decker]].

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== References ==

* [http://www.deltaportercable.com/aboutus/pc_history.aspx "History."] Delta Machinery/Porter-Cable web site. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
* Berger, Matt. [http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolGuideArticle.aspx?id=27045 "Dick Jarmon: Ultimate Tool Collector."] ''Fine Woodworking''. January 8, 2008.
* Hicks, Jennifer. [http://www.woodshopnews-digital.com/woodshopnews/200710/?pg=12 "Tool Collector is Porter-Cable's Top Fan."] ''Woodshop News''. October 2007.

== See also ==

* [[Delta Machinery]]
* [[DeVilbiss Air Power Company]]

== External links ==

* [http://www.deltaportercable.com/ Delta Machinery/Porter-Cable web site]
* [http://www.dewaltservicenet.com/ DeWalt ServiceNet] (parts and service site)
* [http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/tools/1274036.html "Vintage Power Tools To Smithsonian"] ([[Popular Mechanics]] article from December 1997)

{{Power tool manufacturers}}

[[Category:Companies established in 1906]]
[[Category:Companies based in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Woodworking hand-held power tools]]
[[Category:Power tool manufacturers]]
[[Category:Pneumatic tool manufacturers]]
[[Category:American brands]]
[[Category:Stanley Black & Decker brands]]
[[Category:2Fix]]