From a tool van to workshops across Canada.
More than 25 years of tools, people and finding a way forward.
Skookum Tools began in 2000 with a mobile tool store and a practical idea: bring quality tools and everyday shop supplies directly to the people who use them. The business has changed over the years, but helping customers find the tools they need has remained at the heart of it.
After nearly 15 years working at a local industrial supply store, Rob McDonald was ready to take the next step. His first plan was to purchase the business where he worked. When that opportunity didn't move forward, he began shaping a business of his own.
While talking through the idea with his wife, Rob already had a name in mind. If he started his own supply company, he would call it Skookum Tools.
Rob often heard customers use “skookum” to describe a strong, dependable tool. It felt like a fitting name for the business he wanted to build. The origin of the word comes from Chinook Jargon meaning, strong, reliable or of good quality.
2000
The first Skookum Tools van brought the mobile tool-store concept to industrial customers, with a focus on supplies that shops use and replace every day. Abrasives, drill bits, cutting tools and safety supplies filled the shelves. From the beginning, Rob also saw the possibility of growing through other Skookum Tools vans.
Within the First 18 Months
Skookum began franchising within 18 months of opening. Over the next several years, additional franchise owners brought Skookum Tools to more customers throughout British Columbia.
2008–2009
The recession put pressure on several newer franchises, some of which eventually closed. It prompted Rob to rethink the business model and look for another way to bring Skookum Tools products to market. That next chapter took shape through 18 months of research into business trends and how customers were shopping.
A New Way to Reach Customers
OnlineSupply.ca opened a new way for Skookum to reach customers across Canada, initially focused on abrasives and custom sanding belts. As the selection expanded, the website became a central part of how shops and makers found and ordered the tools they needed.
That growth also refelected a shift toward Canadian manufacturing and developing our own Skookum Product lines. We started with custom bandsaw blades welded to order in Canada, supported by an online configuration page that helped customers choose blades for their saws and applications. Canadian-made carbide end mills followed, along with Skookum abrasives, including sanding belts converted here at home. Together, these growing product lines and easier online ordering helped shape the Skookum Tools business we know today.
Today, our head office and stocking warehouse are in Langford, British Columbia. Our Skookum and Skookum + Royce product lines connect customers with tools manufactured, converted or welded in Canada.
We're continuing to grow our Canadian product lines, improve the information on our site and make it easier to choose tools that suit your machine, your material and your work.
From the first van to the orders leaving our warehouse today, Skookum has grown through the people who choose to do business with us.
Whether you've been here for years or you've just found us, we appreciate being part of the work you do. There's more ahead, and we're looking forward to building it with you.
Have a question, need a hand choosing a tool or have a Skookum memory to share? Get in touch with our team.
Call us at (250) 590-2178 (for toll free 1-888-665-6936) or contact our team.
Proudly Canadian. Skookum Strong.