Throwback Thursday is a regular feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report.
Ten years ago, Hardlines reported that a Hong Kong-based company “has secured the license to use the Ford automotive brand for a range of hand and power tools … The supplier said the Ford line has yet to enter Canada or the U.S. and will exhibit at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in May 2014.” The project ended badly, with Nine HKG Ltd., the Hong Kong-based manufacturer, suing the Ford Motor Co. for restricting the use of its brand. A Michigan court dismissed the lawsuit in January 2024 and Ford and Nine HKG reached a settlement. The future of the brand is unknown.
