The E. T. Lufkin Board and Log Rule Manufacturing Company was started in Cleveland, Ohio in 1869 to serve the logging industry. Unlike scores of competitors, Lufkin produced rules of superior quality, using only the best materials, and the company flourished, gaining a substantial following of loyal customers and catching the attention of new investors. A Saginaw, Michigan company soon bought the growing business, renaming it the Lufkin Rule Company and moving it to Saginaw, which at the time was the center of the logging industry as settlement of the young United States moved relentlessly westward.
Innovation is the key to success for every enterprise, and that was certainly the case for Lufkin, when, in 1890, Lufkin introduced the first steel measuring tape produced in the United States. Numerous innovative products were introduced in the following years, the most successful being the “spring joint” folding wooden rule. The folding rule remained the dominant measuring tool for tradespeople of all types until the 1940s when Lufkin, along with several other manufacturers, made the retractable tape measure a reality.
Today, Lufkin is a premier measuring products brand from Apex Tool Group, one of the largest hand tool manufacturers in the world. Lufkin power tapes, rules, long tapes, oil gauging tapes, and measuring wheels provide precise measurements for professionals and do-it-yourselfers alike. Tough “Hi-Viz Orange” power tapes are recognized the world over for their innovative design, quality, and accuracy. Lufkin also offers one of the widest available selections of special-purpose tapes and rules for commercial and industrial use. So whether it’s a steel rule in a factory, a specialized oil gauging tape at a refinery, or a power tape on a home construction site, those who know measurement reach for Lufkin.
