Pg 110 - Ehlert Supply Co.

Ehlert Supply Co., Milwaukee, WI 1918 – 1922

and American Tool Chest Co., Wauwatosa, WI 1920 - 1921

‘Ehlertbilt’

In 1918 Ehlert Supply Co., owned by John Ehlert, started offering their ‘Ehlertbilt’ machinist tool chests and cases. Ehlert Supply sold their business in 1922.

Ehlert Hardware, owned by his brother Frank, was a secondary supplier. They were selling the Ehlertbilt products, except with their own hardware nameplate.

In 1920 John Ehlert started the American Tool Chest Co. in Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, doing the manufacturing of machinist tool cases and chests for themselves, Ehlert Supply Co. and Ehlert Hardware. Unfortunately, the plant burned in early 1921 and was never reopened.

Below is a picture of an American Tool Chest Co. or Ehlertbilt Machinist Tool Chest without its full front panel. It’s important to notice that there are not any lid latches on the front of the chest’s lid, only at the ends, and that the front panel is Full, meaning it locks to the bottom of the lid’s front board.