At the last Milwaukee media event that I attended, back in 2015, I asked one or two of the product engineers about whether they coordinate with their counterparts at Ridgid and Ryobi brands. As you might know, TTI is the parent company of Milwaukee Tool, and Ridgid and Ryobi’s power tool businesses in North America.
At the time, I asked the question about whether the brands talk to each other because I know they operate completely independently, or at least Milwaukee is completely separate from Ridgid and Ryobi tool development and activities.
See More Tool Brand Relationships
But there are too many strategic parallels to ignore. They MUST be talking to each other, at least at the highest levels.
Ryobi came out with a cordless fan. And then so did Milwaukee.
Ryobi came out with a cordless drain snake. And then so did Milwaukee.
Milwaukee and Ryobi have been coming out with tons of new LED worklight products, independently. And now Ridgid is coming out with a greatly expanded LED worklight lineup as well.
The product types are similar, but the technologies are different. I am still convinced that the brands are developing their tools independently, but there must be some strategic sharing towards the top.
Not convinced yet?
There are 4 cordless oil pulse drivers on the market:
Maybe there are some parts common to the TTI brands’ tools. Or maybe they just come out of the same TTI factory that is flexible enough to manufacture variants of the same motor for the different brands.
By itself, seeing strategic coordination at the highest levels of the brands isn’t an important insight, or speculation, and what you can call it depends on whether my observations result from genuine coincidences.
Coordination between Ridgid and Ryobi power tools is definitely there, seeing as how the tools are developed under the same roof and are sold exclusively at Home Depot. So just please keep in mind that it’s coordination between Milwaukee and these other brands that I see as being substantiated.
As tool users, this means lots of different options and smarter tool development. Between the 3 brands, there will soon be more LED worklight products than probably all of their competitors combined.
In a simplistic sense, it also somewhat reorders or sorts the tool options into “good,” “better,” and “best” options.
That type of a system, if it is indeed what is striven for, makes TTI and its brands far more formidable to their competitors than I had realized.
Here’s what I wish for – a step-down battery pack adapter that would allow Milwaukee M18 batteries to work in all 3 brands’ 18V tools, and Ridgid batteries to work in theirs or Ryobi’s 18V tools. That would be amazing. Likely impossible, but one could hope.