OTC Tool Company

It was founded in Owatonna, Minnesota, by Godfrey Kaplan, who operated a small machine shop there.

Kaplan's son Rueben, invented the "Grip-O-Matic" universal gear puller and received his first patent.

The tools were sold directly to the customer from makeshift display boards fitted into panel trucks or converted autos.

When World War II broke out in 1939, the U.S. Army and Navy bought large quantities of OTC tools and by 1945, the company had doubled its staff.

[3] By 1985, OTC had an extensive line of tools and systems for both OEM and aftermarket customers.