About Us

ACME TOOLS was founded by George Kuhlman in 1948 as an electric motor repair shop in downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota. The business was named "ACME" because it represented the highest level or degree attainable, the peak of perfection. The core values back then were simple; offer the highest quality products at competitive prices, backed by the highest professional service and support attainable. Now, over 60 years later, it's hard to believe that this small town motor repair business has grown to become a major tools and equipment supplier.

Today ACME TOOLS continues to be one of the premier retailers of tools and equipment with some of the largest first-class showrooms in the nation. With nine locations in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, ACME TOOLS has served the contractor, woodworker and do-it-yourselfer with a wide selection of tools and equipment from all the major manufacturers.

In the mid 1980's ACME TOOLS launched a mail order business selling woodworking equipment from space ads in national trade magazines. Later, we pioneered a national catalog business shipping woodworking and construction products throughout the United States and abroad as "Tool Crib of the North".


In 1999, we were one of the first to launch an Internet business focusing on tools and equipment. Later that year, we sold the internet and catalog business. For the next 10 years, we focused our efforts on expanding our Midwest retail locations into Minnesota and Iowa.

WE'RE BACK! Now, 10 years later, under the name ACME TOOLS. We have the same team and family business principles and values of old. We are pleased to offer you the all-new acmetools.com website for your browsing and shopping convenience.

Whether you shop in-store, on-line, or from our catalog, we hope to save you time and money by serving as a source for products to make your job or project easier and more enjoyable. If there's an item you don't see on our website, in our catalog, or in our store, chances are we stock it or can get it. Just ask us and we will do our best to find it for you.

If you're new to ACME TOOLS, we look forward to the opportunity to serve you; if you're a past customer, as always, we thank you for your business!


Not sold yet on shopping at ACME TOOLS? Here are 10 reasons why we are a good choice!

                     Not 10, but 11 Reasons WHY SHOP ACME TOOLS?
                     Because it’s a Smart Buy!

1.  Over 60 Years of Industry Experience. ACME TOOLS has been in business since 1948 and enjoyed over 62 years of business serving the contractor, woodworker, and do-it-yourselfer. We are not some start-up company that doesn't understand the business or your needs.


2.  Huge Stock Levels and a Vast Selection. At ACME TOOLS we understand that when you need a tool, you need it now. We pride ourselves on having the lowest out of stock rate of anyone in the industry. Many competitor websites may tell you they have it but what they are really doing is shipping it from the manufacturer, delaying your order. We support nine retail locations and know from long experience that customers want and need full-line availability. Even if you don't see the tool on-line, in our catalog, or in our store, chances are we do stock it. Let us know and we'll try our best to find it for you. If we do not carry an item and you think we should, please tell us about it. Many new items that we carry come from feedback made by our customers. Email us at newproducts@acmetools.com


3.  Knowledgeable Sales Staff. Need a technical question answered? We may not have all the answers, but we'll do our best to get you an answer. Our call center is available for expert advice. ACME TOOLS is committed to the tool business and we train our sales staff to reflect that commitment, before and after the sale.


4.  30-Day Price Protection. If we offer a lower price within 30 days from your date of purchase, we will gladly refund you the difference. Click for details.


5.  Price Guarantee. Buy now, price shop later. At ACME TOOLS we pride ourselves on offering you the best selection of tools, equipment, and supplies in the industry at guaranteed low prices. From time to time we are not able to see what the competition is doing. We make every effort to give you the lowest prices and our product is priced as low as possible. However, our prices won't be beat. Click for details.

6.  FREE Ground Shipping . Currently we offer FREE shipping on most FedEx ground shipments over $99 in the 48 contiguous states. Just type in the promo code to receive FREE freight on qualifying orders.


7.  FREE Lift Gate and No Residential Fees. We offer a FREE Lift Gate Service which gets your product to the ground for all truck freight shipments. This is the way to go when you're staring at a 600 pound piece of equipment and a four foot drop. We also do not charge extra for a residential delivery charge. Many of our competitors charge you for both. Ouch! Click for details


8.  Fast Order Processing and Great Shipping Rates. We've all heard the saying "time is money". Most in-stock ground or express orders ship the same day if placed before 12 pm central time. In addition to our fast order processing, we offer some of the best express air rates in the business. If you needed the product yesterday, take a look at our FedEx 3 Day, FedEx 2 Day, or FedEx Overnight rates.


9.  Great Package Deals offering you the Best Value. We work with our manufacturers to put together great packages to give you the best value in a tool purchase. We try to put together a tool package that is complete, so when you order from us, you're ready to go when the tool arrives.


10.   ACME TOOLS is a market leader in bringing new products to market quickly. We make sure we are first to market when it comes to new products. Just click on the "What's New" tab on our website or look for the "New" icon next to many products.

11.  Three Easy Ways to Order: Online - Catalog - Retail. We offer three convenient ways for you to order. You can order from us online, by calling our toll-free phone number and ordering from our catalog, or by visiting one of our nine retail locations in the upper Midwest.