Mephisto Contractors Tools

About Us

Mephisto Tool Company traces its origin to 1830 in an area of Meriden, Connecticut then known as “Augerville.” There, the W. A. Ives Manufacturing Co. produced wood boring auger bits under the brand name “Mephisto.”

In 1929 the Bailey family, who had recently sold a saw manufacturing business in Woburn, MA, purchased Ives Manufacturing. To simplify matters, the company was re-named Mephisto Tool Co.

Edwin T. Bailey, Sr., then company President, expanded the product line over the next few years to include other hand tools and power tool accessories.

In 1932, a fire started in the quench oil tank of the heat-treating department and destroyed the entire building.

Mr. Bailey opted not to re-build in Meriden, and looked for a suitable location in or near New England. In his search, Bailey found a possible location in Pittsfield, MA, and made plans to visit the site.

During his trip from Connecticut to Pittsfield, Mr. Bailey and his son, Edwin T. Bailey, Jr., stopped in Hudson, NY for lunch. Also at that restaurant happened to be local businessman Ben

Gifford, who owned the Gifford-Wood Co. and he and the Baileys were somehow introduced.

In their conversation, Mr. Gifford indicated that his business, which included making ice-processing tools, had excess manufacturing capacity, and that he was looking for new items to produce.

This chance meeting resulted in the two companies successfully co-existing until 1956.

In that year, Mephisto President Edwin T. Bailey, Jr., decided to build a manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Hudson, and this remains the current location of our company.

1976 marked the retirement of Mr. Bailey and management changed to our current President, Edwin T. Bailey, III. He oversees the 177-year tradition of

providing contractors with quality tools.

MEPHISTO TOOL CO., HUDSON, NY
PHONE: 518-828-1563
FAX: 518-828-2711

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