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Drilling its way through history Handy companion to homeowners everywhere, Black & Decker is the largest producer of power tools, lawn accessories, and small household appliances in the U.S. In addition, the company is the leading maker of security locks and steel golf club shafts, and the third-largest producer of faucets. B & D began in 1910 as a maker of milk bottle cap machines; and in 1916 it built its first power hand tool, a portable half-inch electric drill, now on display at the Smithsonian Institution. During the next several decades, B & D invented the power tools that would come to define the industry. Dust or bust In 1984, hoping to play on the success of products like the Dustbuster, B & D acquired General Electric's home appliances division. B & D wanted to diversify by translating its mechanical strengths into home appliance use. The plan, however, was less than a triumph. Construction workers and repairmen, the company's core market for the power tools business, cringed as B & D tools popped up in kitchens and the poorly stocked garages of amateurs. Though B & D tools were still high quality, professional tool users began turning away from the brand. Sales of B & D tools fell second to the Japanese Makita brand. De-what? Salvation from this situation came in the form of a company B & D had acquired 32 years before: the DeWalt brand. Tests showed that the DeWalt label, which had been used last on a line of radial arm saws, still had positive brand recognition among professionals. The plan was very simple: B & D took its existing products, tinkered with them a bit, painted them yellow, and slapped on the DeWalt logo. Boosted by a massive advertising campaign, DeWalt rocketed from zero sales to $300 million in less than two years; and B & D regained its former number one sales position. Tower of power Despite B & D's sturdy reputation, the company has had to revamp itself. Tough competition drove the company to sell its appliances operations in North America, Latin America, and Australia. B & D rid itself of light-duty appliances after deciding that they might be damaging to its rough, burly, testosterone-pumped power tool image. In other downsizing strategies, the company sold Emhart Glass, equipment maker, and True Temper Sports, a gold club shaft unit. All in all, the company cut 3,000 jobs - or ten percent of its workforce - in 1998. Amidst the company's struggles, however, CEO Nolan Archibald still received an inordinately large salary, leading to attacks from the AFL-CIO. Archibald's large salary also impelled Business Week to rank him No. 2 on its list of "executives whose companies did the worst relative to their pay." On a brighter note, strong results in certain power-tool operations caused the company's 1998 second-quarter net income to jump 28%. B & D also pledged to cut development time. Ten years ago, a new product took 36 months to reach completion; the standard now is 20 months. Outside the U.S., B & D planned to close four plants in order to consolidate production and to increase efficiency. Meanwhile, B & D's assortment of famous brands - including Dustbuster, Kwikset, and Price Pfisterk - helped the company maintain a stronghold in the industry.
The most recent Black & Decker postings are located at www.careermosaic.com/cm/blackanddecker. Employment entries are listed under the following divisions: Black & Decker; Black & Decker North American Power Tools; DeWalt, which specializes in product design, engineering, manufacturing, and service; Emhart Fastening Teknologies, a fastening systems business; Price Pfister, a leader in plumbing fixtures; and Kwikset, which manufactures home security products. While B & D's American and overseas production plants perform much of their own hiring, the company occasionally advertises for openings at its corporate headquarters in local newspapers such as The Baltimore Sun. B & D wants people of the "highest quality" who have the ability to make "face-to-face contact" with their customers and associates. Insiders reveal that most of the questions interviewers ask are "designed to find out what kind of person the interviewee is" and "how he or she will fit into the company structure." Candidates should "definitely know about Black & Decker's various product lines." Yet weeks' worth of company research may not be necessary since "preparations for the interview are often more intense than the interviews themselves." One insider adds, "people - especially those without graduate experience - are not really asked technical questions." A typical interview might consist of the following questions: "what are you looking for," "what is your greatest accomplishment," "why do you think you'd be good for Black & Decker," and "why would Black & Decker be good for you?" The company usually conducts three interviews; they range from a half-hour to an hour in length.
Back in Black Although "Black & Decker is a fun, challenging, and competitive company to work for," insiders say that they are "still worried" about its recent history of "downsizing and divestiture." Despite the company's diminishing numbers, however, insiders maintain that "the people are the best around." Says one informant, "I have been working for Black & Decker for almost 13 years and the friends I've made there are invaluable to me." As a result of Black & Decker's lean resources, managers "give a lot of responsibilities fairly early." There is also an emphasis on "professionalism in everything that you do." The job remains interesting because "Black & Decker invests a great deal of time and energy in the development of new products." Says one ebullient informant: "There will always be new products to market and new challenges to overcome." Not Ambidextrous The downside to this rapidly shifting environment is that employees sometimes feel "things tend to fall through the cracks" and that "there is no long-term strategy" among corporate leaders. One informants opines, "there is little autonomy anymore." Others are concerned about inter-company communication: "it sometimes seems that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing." Success at B&D: gender-blind? While B & D "encourages women and minorities to apply," one source says that "women are still not treated as they should be." Women "still have to prove themselves more than men," concludes another annoyed contact. A different informant, who supports this hypothesis, says that "the company might be unconsciously male-oriented." At the same time, even critics agree that "if you are willing to work hard, anyone can succeed at the company." Playing hardball Because "B & D has many divisions all over the world," insiders believe that "there is no single culture." Along this line, those truly bent on climbing to the top "must be very flexible with regards to relocation." There is some uniformity among all Black & Decker offices, however. "Everyone plays hard and works hard," confirms one source; "55 hour work weeks are common." Yet this competition doesn't stifle office camaraderie, and many insiders call their fellow coworkers their "favorite aspect of the company." Not surprisingly, "anyone with an 'attitude' will find the going rough and will, covertly, be encouraged to find other another place of employment." The friendly atmosphere, combined with the turbulence of the industry, makes Black & Decker "a bit of a paradox," since it is "both laid back and extremely aggressive." Love those discount faucets Insiders report, "there is no commission [on sales] - only a straight salary - but bonuses can be substantial." And, adds one contended B & D insider, "merit-based bonuses are frequent." Employee benefits are numerous and include a "dental plan, prescription drug plan, health care benefits, eye care benefits, 401K retirement plan, paid maternity leave, paid long-term disability (60%), and paid time-off for deaths in the family (3 days)." Perks consist of "great employee prices on power tools, appliances, hardware, and faucets," as well as a "great tuition-assistance program" in which "any further education you might want to work towards is reimbursed 100%." Lucky sales employees are given "company cars - all expenses paid." All in all, this bounty of benefits makes "Black & Decker an excellent company to train and grow with."
Linda Tennant Human Resources 701 East Joppa Road1 Towson MD 21286 (410) 716-2973 (410) 716-7865
Power Tools;Electric Lawen and Garden Tools
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