Development and vertically integrated manufacturing of hair clippers, trimmers and personal care products
Wahl Clipper Corporation
Sterling, Illinois (USA) · Windsor, Ontario (Canada)New on Amplifa
About Wahl Clipper Corporation
Wahl Clipper Corporation is a US-based manufacturer of hair clippers, trimmers and personal care products for professional hairdressers and barbers, consumers, and animal grooming. The company is regarded as a pioneer of the industry with the invention of the first practically usable electric hair clipper with an electromagnetic motor in the handpiece (patent application 1919). Manufacturing is vertically integrated: nearly all product components are produced in its own plants, including on its own plastic injection molding presses since the early 1940s; at times, hundreds of thousands of micro-sized electrical switches were also produced. Starting in the early 1950s, Wahl commissioned a second production site in Windsor, Ontario (Canada), and has since exported worldwide in country-specific voltages and frequencies. Headquarters and production are located on North Locust Street in Sterling, Illinois; the company employs more than 4,000 people worldwide. Historically, there was also an Electronics Division for cordless soldering irons.
- Site
- Sterling, Illinois, USA
- Processes
- Plastic injection molding (plastic molding presses), Development and manufacture of hair clippers, trimmers and personal care products, Distribution via a worldwide network of sales and service representatives
- Materials
- Plastic injection molding, Electromagnetic motor manufacturing
- Founded
- 1919
- Employees
- more than 4,000
- Industries
- Professional hairdresser/barber industry, Consumers (home grooming), Animal grooming, Electronics (historical), Animal grooming (Professional Animal / Home Pet), Electronics (historical: soldering iron division)
- 01
Development (R&D)
- 02
Plastic injection molding
- 03
Component manufacturing (vertically integrated)
- 04
Assembly
- 05
Worldwide distribution via sales and service representatives
Manufacturing processes
Plastic injection molding
Since the early 1940s, plastic components have been manufactured in-house on the company's own injection molding presses.
Electromagnetic motor manufacturing
The core of the products is the in-house developed vibration electromagnetic motor, later also permanent magnet and universal rotor motors.
Sites
Sterling, Illinois
USHeadquarters and production site (North Locust Street)
- Materials
- Plastics, electrical/electromagnetic components
- Plastic injection molding presses
Windsor, Ontario
CAProduction site (from the early 1950s)
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic injection molding (plastic molding presses)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection molding machine (plastic molding press) | – | – | – | – | Sterling, Illinois |
Additional services
History
- 1911
Leo J. Wahl experiments with the electromagnetic motor and develops a vibration medical massager; start of production in Sterling, Illinois.
- 1919
On October 14, patent application filed for the electromagnetic hair clipper; start of production at Wahl Manufacturing Company – the first practical machine with the motor in the handpiece.
- 1921
Leo J. Wahl acquires 100% of the shares on February 2 and renames the company Wahl Clipper Corporation.
- 1940
Installation of the company's own plastic injection molding presses; expansion into vertically integrated manufacturing and product diversification (hair dryers, shears, brushes, combs, attachments).
- 1950
Start of exports with international voltages/frequencies; opening of the Windsor, Ontario production site.
- 1957
Leo J. Wahl dies on May 20 (over 100 patents); relocation to the current site on North Locust Street in Sterling.
- 1960
Development of a flexible electric shaver.
- 1965
Introduction of the Vac Clipper with vacuum intake.
- 1966
First universal rotor machine, later permanent magnet motor for animal grooming clippers.
- 1967
First rechargeable cordless hair clipper for professionals.
- 1970
26-week strike resulting in removal of the union; introduction of a variable-speed permanent magnet clipper.
- 1971
World's first successful cordless soldering iron; founding of an Electronics Division.
- 1975
Start of manufacturing a complete massager product line.