Ken-Tool’s history begins in 1920 when John A. Kennedy, self-proclaimed tire changing champion of the world, invented the Pacific Rim Tool. This revolutionary tire changing tool, endorsed by the B. F. Goodrich Company, began selling to garages and tire shops throughout the country. At this time, Kennedy had no manufacturing capability, so in 1925 he formed a partnership with J. Frank Kemmerline of the Cornwell Tool Company, and officially started the Kennedy Tool Company. Their primary product was the now-famous Pacific Rim Tool. During the next year, 1926, over 100,000 of these tools were shipped from their Ohio plant, and over 20,000 units were shipped from a Birmingham, England plant through the export division of General Motors.
