The company was founded in 1910 by Swedish emigrant Johannes Strandberg. In the early history of Standard Tools the company consisted of a small machine shop that made metal parts, machine tools and metalworking equipment.[2] In 1926 Mr Bernard "Bearny" J. Keating took over as chairman and the company expanded. On March 13, 1945, Standard Tool and Manufacturing company received the Army-Navy E, Award of Excellence for Achievement in Production.[3] In 1955 Standard Tools was cited by the RCA for "many outstanding contributions to R.C.A. and the electronics industry over the past twenty-five years".[4] Mr Keating was named the outstanding Roman Catholic layman of the year by St. John's University, Brooklyn and received its St. Vincent de Paul Medal.