It's hard to imagine given its size, but Hilti is a family-owned business from Lichtenstein that was started in 1941 by two brothers. They began by selling household goods and direct fastening products. In 1952, they opened the first U.S. facility in Stanford, where they remained until 1979. They then moved to Tulsa and, in 2015, the company made a large move to Plano, Texas, in order, in their words, "to be closer to our customers." Nearby Dallas is the fifth largest construction market in the U.S. Hilti has 300 team members there, and a sales force of 1,400 throughout the U.S. Hilti's direct-sales approach is unique in the industry; they say it's central to what they do because it allows for customer interaction. This interaction allows for tool development and feedback, as well as a strong customer service connection that's directly connected to their warranty. The warranty, which is known as 20-2-1, provides 20-year protection against product defects, 2-year protection on wear and tear, and a 1-day turnaround for repairs. The longest most customers will be without a tool that's sent in for repair is three days, which includes shipping time. Hilti also offers a loan-service so that its customers don't ever have to be down a tool while it's out for service.
In the slideshow above, you'll see some shots of Hilti's headquarters, which is dappled with elements to remind its corporate team of the products they're creating. You'll also see a sampling of some new tools that have recently been released, and that are scheduled to be released in the near future.
