This week Lista announced that it has merged with global leading tool and storage manufacturer Stanley Black and Decker. Stanley’s Vidmar division, like Lista, is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of a wide range of storage products. Lista is a Massachusetts company well-known for its excellent storage cabinets, mobile cabinets, workbenches and accessories. While Stanley Vidmar manufactures and markets similar modular cabinets, the company felt that the two complemented each other – with Stanley supplementing Lista’s existing offerings in particular. The merger of these two leading companies and brands will establish a newly formed Stanley Storage and Workspace Solutions group. This group will be responsible for sale and support of both Lista and Vidmar products. That means that in the not-too-distant future you will be able to use the complete Lista offering alongside a powerful new complement of Stanley products, such as STAK, VLM and much more.
“Our plan and strategy is to maintain both brands. The primary focus of the Lista brand will be on sales through our distribution partners. Our intent is to ensure our continued relationship, and work with you to drive continued growth within your served markets. Your current RSM contact will continue to be your contact in the future. The merger leverages resources needed to develop world class innovative products consistently delivering value solutions to our customers.”
– Peter Lariviere, VP sales & marketing, Stanley Storage and Workspace Solutions
This is one of those mergers that seems to make sense. After all, one area where the Stanley Black and Decker group was a bit shallow was tool storage. Lista may have just shored that up a bit… and maybe more than a bit. Will this be the year we see some additional new product offerings from Stanley Storage and Workspace Solutions in this area? Let’s hope so – we love to see the storage category expanding and this is an area that has a lots of room to grow and maneuver. Perhaps Stanley will quickly pull out in front.
