Bulldog
Bulldog
In 1919 in a small third-floor room over his car dealership in Wausau, Wisconsin, Thomas J. Jacob begins making high-quality precision tools of his own design. His venture becomes known as the Hammer Blow Tool Company. The death of a favorite hunting dog due to an accident involving a poorly-designed trailer hitch leads Jacob to develop the first drop-forged ball-and-socket trailer hitch, which he names the "Never Lets Go" Bull Dog. More inventions follow, positioning Hammer Blow at the forefront of the trailer industry at its infancy.
Demonstration models of camper trailers built by Jacob at the Chicago World's Fair set off a period of rapid growth in the industry. Jacob dies in 1945. His wife, Lula, takes over Hammer Blow and guides it with great success for more than 20 years. In 1967, Lula Jacob sells Hammer Blow to Neway Equipment Company of Muskegon, Michigan, which later sells to Lear Siegler, Inc.
In 1977, private investors led by Thomas J. Reinhart purchase and rename The HammerBlow Corporation. The expansion of the mechanical jack line and related products continues for more than a decade.
Rigid Hitch Inc.
