Acme Electric Motor, Inc. experienced growth in the mid-1950s because of the arrival of contractors to Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The contractors were tasked with building the Grand Forks Air Force Base and nearby missile sites.

Celebrating its 50th year with a workforce of 150 employees, the Tool Crib of the North established itself as a significant player in the industry.

The mail order division sold woodworking equipment from print ads in national trade magazines.

The division grew the business to more than seven times its size by offering tools to a national audience, realizing annual growth of 25%.

[9] In 1998, the Tool Crib of the North constructed a 50,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center, employing over 100 staff to process 2,000 orders daily across a range of 4,000 items.

[9] By the end of 1999, the Tool Crib of the North sold its online and catalog divisions to Amazon.com,[11] with Steve Kuhlman taking the role of Amazon's North Dakota division director[12] for three years, while Paul Kuhlman stayed with Acme Electric Motor, Inc. as the Vice President of Marketing for all retail locations.

[9] Adhering to a ten-year non-compete agreement with Amazon, the company focused on retail expansion, acquiring Dakota Fastening in 2003 and Puckett Tools in 2004, leading to new stores in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa.

[9] In 2005, the company rebranded as Acme Tools and expanded into the Twin Cities market with a new store in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Acme Tools relaunched its online retail presence in 2010 with a new eCommerce website, initially offering 5,000 products, which grew to over 70,000[13] by 2023.

This site caters to a nationwide clientele, including contractors, home builders, woodworkers, remodelers, landscapers, farmers, and do-it-yourself professionals.

That was my grandfather's guiding business principle when he founded Acme Electric and it's even more relevant today in our stores and our digital platform.

The company received the highest score in both the "Garden & Craft" industry and the "DIY, Tools, Supplies" category, earning a rating of 8.32.

[16] This distinction, awarded by Newsweek in collaboration with Statista Incorporated, was based on an evaluation that considered 46 criteria, including trust and security, purchase and delivery processes, site structure and usability, customer service and communication, technical performance, payment options, and traffic growth.

The company topped the "Garden & Craft" industry and the "DIY, Tools, Supplies" category, earning a rating of 8.31.

Since then, Duster has been present on the company's social media platforms, like TikTok,[20] and is a consistent component of the Acme Tools brand and product lines.