Since 1920, the company that has become Snap-on Incorporated has forged its designs into steel solutions for auto mechanics across America. With a 100th anniversary approaching, corporate leaders of the $3.3 billion S&P 500 company decided it was time to update the Snap-on Museum – to reflect more closely the company’s commitment to quality and innovation; to reveal the link between the company’s legacy and the culture that sustains it today; and to demonstrate the global scale of the company’s family of brands beyond Snap-on tools.
Set in a 25,000-square-foot factory space reclaimed for training and events, the museum showcases more than 500 artifacts, including a Ford Model T – which, when mass-produced with completely interchangeable parts, set a new standard for efficient and rational manufacturing, and Snap-on adapted them as mobile sales vehicles. Also featured are the company’s “5 does the work of 50” tool kit, with which Snap-on established socket tools as the industry standard for fitting interchangeable auto parts; information about the company’s family of brands sold around the world; a 150-foot timeline display; and custom mobile toolboxes that allow reconfiguration for varied audiences.
