What Is the Milwaukee Logo?
The Milwaukee logo is the name Milwaukee in slanted red lettering, with a lightning bolt running beneath it. It belongs to Milwaukee Tool, the power tool maker formally named Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, which began in 1924, is based in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and has been owned by Techtronic Industries since 2005.
Milwaukee's product systems carry names of their own, such as M12, M18 and M18 FUEL for its cordless tools and PACKOUT for its storage boxes. The red name with the bolt is available as the Milwaukee logo SVG.
Milwaukee Logo Facts
| Symbol | A lightning bolt beneath the name |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the Milwaukee name with a lightning bolt |
| Owner | Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation |
What the Milwaukee Logo Means
The name is a place. The company grew out of a Wisconsin workshop and took the name of its home city, Milwaukee, when Albert F. Siebert reopened the business there in 1924.
The bolt matches the other half of the company's legal name, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. The business was built on electric tools, starting with a drill light enough to hold in one hand. Set under the name like an underline, the bolt keeps the whole mark to one compact line.
Red is the third element. Trade magazine EC&M, marking the company's 80th birthday in 2004, described Milwaukee as having made "signature red power tools" since 1924, and the logo shares that colour.
Milwaukee Logo History
The story starts with a drill. In 1918 Henry Ford was looking for a lighter, portable version of the 1/4-inch power drill. A young Wisconsin manufacturer, A.H. Petersen, took the job and built the Hole-Shooter, a drill of about five pounds that could be used with one hand.
In 1922 Petersen and Albert F. Siebert set up the A.H. Petersen Company, but a fire destroyed its factory the following year and the business closed. In 1924 Siebert bought the remaining assets at auction and reopened the firm as the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, which is the date the company counts as its start.
Milwaukee introduced the Sawzall reciprocating saw in 1951, and the Hole-Hawg drill in 1970. In 1965 it moved to Brookfield, outside Milwaukee. In 2005 Techtronic Industries bought the company, and Milwaukee narrowed its focus to tools for professional trades.
Milwaukee's United States trademark for the stylised name with a lightning bolt, filed in 2010 and registered in 2020, records the mark in use on clothing since 1973.
The Sawzall and the Hole-Shooter
Milwaukee gave its early tools names as blunt as its logo. The Hole-Shooter gave the company its start, and the Sawzall of 1951 was a self-contained portable electric hacksaw that cut with a back-and-forth stroke. Milwaukee later built what it calls the first cordless Sawzall able to compete with the corded original, and SAWZALL blades sit in its accessory range alongside the saws.
For more brands like Milwaukee, browse our industrial logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lightning bolt under the Milwaukee name?
It is part of the registered mark: Milwaukee's US trademark describes a stylised "Milwaukee" with an image of a lightning bolt. The company's full name is Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation.
Is Milwaukee Tool named after the city?
Yes. The company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1924, and is based in nearby Brookfield.
Who owns Milwaukee Tool?
Techtronic Industries (TTI) has owned Milwaukee Tool since 2005.
What was Milwaukee's first tool?
The Hole-Shooter, a one-handed 1/4-inch drill that A.H. Petersen developed in 1918 at Henry Ford's request.