Woodcraft Introduces 1928 Chevrolet Truck Bank as 90th Anniversary Collectible
PARKERSBURG, W. VA. (PRWEB) April 30, 2018 -- There’s a new truck parked at Woodcraft – a 1/25th scale model of Chevrolet’s 1928 National AB Pickup Truck that went on sale the same year Woodcraft opened its doors and joined the young woodworking industry 90 years ago.
While the Woodcraft 1928 Chevrolet Truck Bank can’t be driven, it can securely store loose change – and serve as a conversation piece, a collectible or a gift. A limited edition Liberty Classics Collectible, the Woodcraft Green and black high quality die-cast metal truck, about 7", is precisely detailed, right down to the tools sitting on the lumber in the bed and the flip-up red toolbox lid that disguises a coin slot. Key storage is underneath.
“Our truck bank design is reminiscent of the 4-cylinder 1928 Chevrolet National AB Pickup,” product development manager Kent Harpool said. “It featured 4-wheel mechanical brakes and an increased length (107" wheelbase) to make room for the 6-cylinder engines already in the planning stages. The pickups cost between $495 and $715, depending on extras a customer wanted, and 785,199 of them were sold.”
In 1929, Chevrolet did introduce the first truck in the industry to feature an OHV 6-cylinder engine, the International Series AC Light Delivery Truck that also had steel disc wheels rather than wood wheels. As Chevrolet and other automakers went on to become an integral part of the American culture and economy, Woodcraft also evolved from a one-store company to a nationwide corporation.
When George Eaton and Richard Merrill opened Woodcraft in a one-room shop in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1928, the manufacture of woodworking tools was just beginning. In the early years Woodcraft sold new and rebuilt industrial woodworking machinery to professional cabinetmakers and to schools. In 1962, Roger Wells bought Woodcraft, and in 1968 moved it to Woburn, Massachusetts.
“In the 31 years I’ve been with Woodcraft we have gone from one store in Woburn to 76 across the country, with the warehouse being added on to two to three times to become the size of a football field,” Toni Dery, a buyer in the Woodcraft purchasing department, recalls. “The Parkersburg store began as a small space in the warehouse. Departments that started off with three people now have six or more.”
In 1987-88, SBR, Inc., founder Sam Ross purchased Woodcraft and began expanding operations and opening new stores. By 1992, the company’s warehouse merchandise distribution, customer service operations and corporate office had all been relocated to Parkersburg, West Virginia, Ross’ hometown.
In 1997, the first Woodcraft franchise store opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Today Woodcraft has 76 retail stores – 10 corporate and 66 franchise – located in 35 states, including Hawaii. More than 20,000 woodworking tools, accessories and supplies are sold at the retail stores, through the Woodcraft catalog and online at woodcraft.com.
To see more about the truck bank and to read more recollections by employees about Woodcraft’s 90-year retail history, click here.
To learn more about Woodcraft, please contact the store nearest you, visit http://www.woodcraft.com or call (800) 535-4482. To learn about Woodcraft franchise opportunities, visit http://www.woodcraftfranchise.com or email [email protected]. Customers can follow Woodcraft on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and Woodworking Adventures, the company blog.
Lori Harper, Woodcraft Supply LLC, http://www.woodcraft.com, +1 (304) 865-4107 Ext: 2107, [email protected]
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