Sperry Instruments

What Sperry Instruments does

Sperry Instruments, operating commercially as nVent Gardner Bender (formerly Gardner Bender), is a Milwaukee-headquartered electrical tools and wire management brand founded in 1966. The firm designs, tests, assembles, packages, and markets a broad portfolio of professional electrical products across 15 categories, including voltage testers and multimeters (test instruments), cable ties, staples, and cordsets (wire management), hand tools, conduit bending and fishing tools, electrical connections, terminations, NM electrical boxes, switches, temporary lighting, pre-assembled whips, and surge protection devices. The core technology positioning emphasizes reliable, professional-grade construction for electrical trade applications, with the recent addition of the Spike Stopper Whole Home Surge Protector extending the lineup into whole-home consumer surge protection. Operations are based at 16250 W Woods Edge Rd, New Berlin, Wisconsin.

The company is a wholly-owned brand within nVent, LLC (NYSE: NVT), a publicly traded diversified electrical equipment conglomerate. Alongside sister brands nVent ILSCO, nVent King Innovation, Calterm, nVent CADDY, and nVent ERICO, Gardner Bender participates in a broader nVent family-of-brands distribution strategy that reaches electrical contractors, utility, and industrial customers globally. The brand transitioned from "Gardner Bender" to "nVent Gardner Bender" in 2021 as part of the parent's rebranding initiative, with product quality and specifications preserved through the transition.

The business model is distribution-led: products are sold through a global network of authorized distributors, online catalogs (via Delzer), and service centers, supplemented by owned social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) for brand engagement. Revenue is not publicly disclosed at the brand level; pricing is not published. The primary customer segment is professional electricians, contractors, and trade workers requiring voltage testing, wire management, conduit installation, and electrical connection/termination tools. The reported headcount of 11-50 employees reflects this unit's scale within the larger nVent portfolio.

Name

Sperry Instruments

Legal name

nVent Gardner Bender

Website

https://sperryinstruments.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sperry Instruments, operating as nVent Gardner Bender, designs, manufactures, and markets professional electrical tools and wire management products — including voltage testers, multimeters, cable ties, conduit tools, and surge protection — serving electricians, contractors, and trade professionals as a brand within nVent (NYSE: NVT).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Tools and Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Current-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing (335931), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Wiring Devices & Receptacles (switches, sockets, plugs, industrial outlets, pin & sleeve) (IMAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circuit Protection Devices (MCBs, MCCBs, ACBs, fuses, RCD/GFCI, surge protection) (IMAGAEAB), Flexible Cords, Portable Power & Cord Sets (IMADAMAI), Cable Accessories & Joints/Terminations (splices, joints, terminations, link boxes) (EUADADAC)

Keywords

• Electrical test instruments
• Voltage testers
• Wire management products
• Conduit bending tools
• Surge protection devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sperry Instruments designs, tests, assembles, packages, and markets professional electrical meters and test instruments to leading companies. It supports a broader portfolio of electrical tools and wire management solutions under the nVent Gardner Bender brand, including voltage testers, multimeters, cable ties, conduit bending/fishing tools, hand tools, electrical connections, terminations, cordsets, and surge protection devices for professional electricians and trade workers.

Product overview

nVent Gardner Bender (formerly Gardner Bender) offers a comprehensive portfolio of electrical and wire management solutions organized into 15 product categories. The portfolio includes test instruments (voltage testers, multimeters), wire management products (cable ties, staples, cordsets), hand tools, conduit tools (bending and fishing), connections and terminations, electrical boxes, switches, temporary lighting, whips, and surge protection devices including the Spike Stopper whole-home surge protector. The company is transitioning its branding from Gardner Bender to nVent Gardner Bender while maintaining the same quality, specifications, performance, and reliability. Gardner Bender operates alongside other nVent brands including nVent ILSCO, nVent King Innovation, Calterm, nVent CADDY, and nVent ERICO under the nVent parent company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Test Instruments Professional voltage testers, multimeters, and diagnostic instruments for electrical testing and troubleshooting, targeted at professional electricians and trade workers.
• Cable Ties Industrial-grade cable ties for securing and organizing wires and cables in electrical and construction applications, targeted at trade professionals.
• Conduit Bending Tools Tools for bending electrical conduit to precise angles during installation, targeted at electricians and contractors.
• Conduit Fishing Tools Tools designed for pulling wire through conduits and hard-to-reach spaces, targeted at electrical installation professionals.
• Connections Electrical connection products including connectors, couplers, and related hardware for electrical installations.
• Hand Tools Professional-grade hand tools for electrical work including wire strippers, cutters, and pliers, targeted at professional electricians.
• NM Electrical Boxes Non-metallic electrical boxes for residential and commercial new construction applications.
• Staples Cable staples designed for securing electrical wiring to surfaces, targeted at electrical installation professionals.
• Switches Electrical switches for various residential and commercial applications.
• Terminations Wire termination products including terminals, splices, and lugs for reliable electrical connections, targeted at trade professionals.
• Wire Management Products for organizing, protecting, and managing electrical wires and cables, targeted at professional installers.
• Temporary Lighting Temporary lighting solutions for construction sites and job site illumination, targeted at construction contractors.
• Cordsets Electrical cordsets and extension cords for power distribution, targeted at construction and trade professionals.
• Whips Pre-assembled electrical whips for commercial and industrial electrical installations, targeted at electrical contractors.
• Surge Protection Surge protection devices including whole-home protectors and point-of-use suppressors to safeguard electronics from power spikes, targeted at residential and commercial electrical installers.
• Spike Stopper Whole Home Surge Protection Whole-home surge protector designed to shield valuable electronics from power surges, particularly during high-demand periods like holidays; part of the nVent Gardner Bender surge protection lineup.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• nVent ILSCOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of the nVent family of brands, offering complementary electrical products including connectors and terminations
• nVent King InnovationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily of brands partner specializing in electrical innovation products for professional trade applications
• CaltermcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor
• nVent CADDYcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor
• nVent ERICOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Klein Tools: Family-owned U.S. manufacturer of professional hand tools, voltage testers, and wire management products sold to electrical trade professionals — directly comparable in target customer and product mix to Gardner Bender/Sperry.
• Fluke Corporation: Fortive-owned manufacturer of professional electrical test and measurement instruments (multimeters, voltage testers, clamp meters) — directly comparable to Sperry Instruments' voltage tester and multimeter lines.
• IDEAL Industries: Private U.S. maker of electrical tools, testers, wire connectors, and wire management products serving the same electrical trade channel — overlaps across nearly every product category Gardner Bender offers.
• Southwire: Major U.S. wire and cable manufacturer that also sells tools, testers, and wire management products through the same electrical distribution channel — comparable on installer-side product mix.
• Milwaukee Tool: Techtronic-owned professional power tool and hand tool brand with a large electrical trade installer franchise; competes directly in hand tools and test instruments aimed at professional electricians.
• Greenlee (Emerson): Emerson-owned maker of professional electrical installation tools including benders, fish tapes, knockout tools, and test instruments — closely comparable to Gardner Bender's conduit bending, fishing, and tool lines.
• Snap-on: Public professional tool manufacturer serving automotive and industrial trades including electrical; overlaps with Gardner Bender's professional hand tool category and franchise distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Stanley Black & Decker (DeWalt): Large diversified tool conglomerate whose DeWalt and Stanley brands sell into the same electrical trade channel with broader portfolios — a broad incumbent competing for the same shelf and contractor specification.
• 3M Electrical Markets: Diversified industrial conglomerate with a major electrical products division covering connectors, terminations, tapes, and wire management — a broad incumbent in adjacent categories to Gardner Bender's portfolio.

Emerging players

• WAGO: German manufacturer of lever-nut and push-in wire connectors plus DIN-rail electrical interconnection; overlaps specifically with Gardner Bender's connections/terminations category in the installer workflow.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GBGardnerBender
• Facebookfacebook.com/sperry-instruments-368311169902592
• Instagraminstagram.com/gbgardnerbender/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sperry Instruments