80 years of Skil How it all began... The story begins in the early 1920s when all the hard work had to be done by hand and power tools were unheard of. Until, that is, American inventor, Edmond Michel, decided that hard work should be easier. In 1923, he developed the world's first electrically powered handsaw. On reading about the invention in a newspaper, Joseph Sullivan set out to find Edmond, and together they worked on how they could mass-produce the new handsaw. Their revolutionary saw was christened the 'Skilsaw'. The Michel Electric HandSaw Company was born in 1924. After one year they changed their company name to Skilsaw Inc. In the 1950s, the company changed its name again, becoming the Skil Corporation, and expanded outside its native borders for the first time. Skilsaw remained the brand name used for the company's products. International sales began in Canada, followed a few years later by Europe. By that time, Skil had also entered the consumer market and, by 1959, had a full and successful range of DIY tools. Skil's European factory was built in 1961 in the Dutch town of Breda, followed soon after by the electric motor plant at Eindhoven. From the 1970s onwards, Skil constructed a network of factories, service centres and sales offices all around the world, its name becoming synonymous with power tools. The growth of Skil increased even further after the take-over by Bosch in 1996. Skil tools really are products of the 21st century. This company has grown through innovation and a commitment to producing high-quality power tools. These are the strengths we will carry forward into the future. Click on the map to see all the Skil offices in Europe ISO 9001: Total Quality. At Skil, quality is integrated into every product and every process. Our integrated working methods were officially recognized with ISO 9001 certification in 1993, making us the first power tool company to receive such a distinction. This international quality standard was awarded for the Skil organization as a whole, and for our entire business process.