Draper

Draper Tools was started in 1919 when the founder, Bert Draper, sold government surplus and tools in markets around the Kingston Upon Thames area. This led to the purchase of the original warehouse, from which the Draper Tool Company Limited as we know it today was born. When Bert Draper passed away in 1963, the control of the Company passed to his son Norman. With the increased business and cramped conditions at Kingston Upon Thames, Norman purchased the freehold rights to the current premises in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire at auction the same year. Norman pushed the business forward dramatically and developed the 'Draper' brand as we know it today, by importing quality tools from all around the World. He also established 'exclusive' relationships on a family to family basis, with such Companies as Elora and Knipex, which still exist today. Norman died in 1994 and the Company is now run by his son, John who took over the reins in 1992 with the task of taking the company into the new century. Draper Tools continues to thrive on a mixture of inward investment and active support for the independent stockist.