PORTLAND, Ore. — In 1947, forester Joe Cox observed the C-shaped jaws of a timber beetle larva deftly chewing through wood. This was the inspiration for his “Cox Chipper Chain,” which he quietly invented in the basement of his home in Portland, Ore. That same year, Cox started the Oregon Saw Chain Corp. to produce his saw chain – from a basement startup to a global manufacturer. 

The company – known today as Oregon Tool – has grown into a multinational organization with numerous acquisitions and mergers. At 3,000 Team Members strong, Oregon Tool sells thousands of products in more than 110 countries. Oregon Tool is a top manufacturer of saw chain and guide bars for chainsaws, diamond saw chain for concrete and pipe and agricultural tractor attachments, and the leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) supplier of first-fit and replacement parts.

“Joe Cox sought to improve cutting performance for those in his industry. His innovative and pioneering spirit led him to look to nature for a solution, and what he learned from the timber beetle provided the blueprint for not only his namesake chain, but every saw chain made in the last 75 years,” said Oregon Tool CEO Paul Tonnesen. “Joe’s efforts changed the industry and gave way to our company, and what he did and who he was continues to inspire our Team Members around the world.”

Across the decades, Oregon Tool has continued to embrace the innovation of its founder and has long been rooted by four core values of leading with humility, pioneering spirit, global stewardship and owning it. The company is a leader in manufacturing saw chain and other tools that have forged a path forward to easier and safer ways of cutting. The Oregon brand established chainsaw safety standards for the industry in the 1970s, and the ICS brand innovated the diamond chain concrete-cutting segment with power cutters that offered pros a safer way to cut pipe in the trenches.

As a nod to their heritage and embracing their core values, Oregon Tool has launched the T.R.E.E. Initiative, focusing on four key areas: Training, Recovery, Environment and Education. As part of T.R.E.E., the company is continuing their partnership with Tree-Nation to further reforestation, with the goal of planting 75,000 trees in 2022. The company will be hosting its second annual RUN, WALK, BIKE event throughout the year, inviting Team Members around the world to get moving in support of the health of the planet.

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