Eastwood Company

The Eastwood Company is a Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA, company, specialising in automotive restoration and repair tools and supplies. Founded in 1978 by Curt Strohacker, Eastwood sold products such as rust prevention coatings and powder coating supplies by mail order, through car show, and on the internet.
Corporate History
In August 1978, Curt Strohacker founded the Eastwood Company with the intent to deliver professional-quality tools to automotive hobbyists. During high school, Curt had worked in a service station, but he also repaired cars in his free time and he realized that he could put this technical knowledge to use in the retail sector. The first Eastwood catalog consisted of eight black and white pages of metal-finishing equipment, but by the early 1980s annual circulation had reached 5,000 and continued operation required the services of a professional list house. In addition to catalog marketing, Eastwood also sold directly to restorers at select car shows.
In August 1983, both the Mercedes-Benz and BMW car clubs unexpectedly endorsed an Eastwood car wash brush - sales multiplied and the staff soon doubled. The development of the Eastwood Spot-Weld Gun, a tool which duplicates the industrial spot-welds found on virtually every metal-bodied car, proved even more fortunate for the growing retailer. At that time, most of Eastwood’s new business came from magazine ads in about a dozen publications. By the end of 1985, company advertisements appeared in over fifty magazines, including Hot Rod Magazine, Car Craft, and Popular Mechanics. Accordingly, the catalog matured as well - in 1986, over 100,000 auto restorers received a 96-page, four-color cover Eastwood catalog; by the end of the decade, annual circulation surpassed 500,000.
In 1997, Eastwood introduced the HotCoat Powder Coating System. Though powder coating produces a more durable and attractive finish, the high cost and requisite skill had long confined its use to professional shops, a stranglehold which Eastwood intended to break. In September of the following year, Eastwood received the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for “Environmental Excellence”, recognizing the low environmental impact of the HotCoat system. In 1999, the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) awarded HotCoat the “Best New Product” for that year.
In 2003, Eastwood introduced its Interchangeable English Wheel and Planishing Hammer, enabling a wider audience to access high-end metal shaping tools. By emphasizing economy in manufacturing and the use of a universal frame, Eastwood was able to offer these products at less than $1000. The ARMO recognized this achievement with a "People's Choice" award in 2004.
In order to keep pace with the explosion of e-commerce, Eastwood launched websites for its tool catalog (www.eastwood.com) and HotCoat (www.hotcoat.com). The sites contain information about new products and promotions, in addition to providing potential new customers with the opportunity to request an Eastwood catalog. Furthermore, Eastwood's site contains technical articles related to popular products, a blog and forum, and a video library. Beginning in January 1999, the sites also allowed customers to order the full product line, integrating purchasing systems from a secure site.
Though online retail has become increasingly prominent, Eastwood continues to publish a monthly, full-size catalog. In November 1999, the company broke ground for a new facility north of Philadelphia, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Following an eight month construction project, Eastwood completely relocated to Pottstown in July of the following year.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu