Wahl

The history of the Wahl Clipper Corporation began when Sterling High School student Leo J. Wall experimented with a vibrating electromagnetic motor in 1911. Later, as an engineering student at the University of Illinois, Leo Wahl developed a vibrating medical massager for his uncle J. Frank Wahl, who began producing massagers in a small factory in Sterling, Illinois. Leo went on to sell these massagers to hairdressers and gradually realized the need to modify hairdresser tools. When his uncle was called into service during the Mexican Revolution, Leo Val took over the production and began experimenting with an electric hair clipper. On October 14, 1919, Leo J. Wal applied for a patent for his newly developed electromagnetic hair clipper. hair, and production was started at the Wahl Manufacturing Company. It was the first clipper with a drive motor in hand and not connected to a separate motor via a flexible shaft. By the end of 1920, his factory had manufactured and sold thousands of hair clippers throughout the United States. During these early years, Mr. Wahl focused on working directly with hairdressers to improve the efficiency and convenience of the hair clipper. On February 2, 1921, Leo Wal received a patent for his new hair clipper, acquired 100% of the shares in Wahl Manufacturing Company, renamed and incorporated the business into the Wahl Clipper Corporation. Growth was rapid, funded by production revenues and patents.

In 1940, WAHL developed rapidly, production areas were purchased and plastic presses were acquired, as well as assembly lines appeared. Additionally, the production of electric hair dryers, scissors, scissor sharpeners, and combs was established. The assortment expanded and the company produced about 2000 units of various products per day. In 1950, the export of products to the world market was established, additional production facilities were built in Ontario, Canada. Electrical products appeared, adapted to the voltage standard of other countries. In 1957, the founder of the company, Leo Val died, during his lifetime he held more than 100 patents. In the same year, the plant moved to its current location in Stering (407 East third street). In the 1960s, WAHL invented the first electric razor, and in 1965, the first vacuum-collecting machine, which sucked up the remaining hair so that it would not fall on the suit.

In 1966, the world saw the first innovative, universal rotary engine, and in 1967 - the battery trimmer. The year 1970 was remembered for a long strike of workers for several weeks, problems with trade unions, but in the same year a new innovative electric motor appeared in the company. In 1977, Greg Wahl became president of the company, replacing his father Jack'a F Wahl, and in 1999, WAHL was recognized as the leaders in the beauty industry segment, at that time it had more than 1,500 employees, and also had production facilities in more than 10 countries. , including Hungary, Germany, England and Japan. In 2009, WAHL was the first to use lithium-ion batteries in trimmers