THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY

What THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY does

The L.S. Starrett Company is a 145-year-old American manufacturer of precision measuring tools, gages, and saw blades headquartered in Athol, Massachusetts, with approximately 1,529 employees and wholly-owned manufacturing operations in the United States, Brazil, Scotland, and China. Its product portfolio spans more than 5,000 SKUs organized across three core lines: Precision Measuring Tools (micrometers, calipers, dial and electronic indicators, height gages, gage blocks, precision rules, and the DataSure 4.0 wireless data collection system); Band Saw Blades and cutting consumables (bi-metal and carbide-tipped band saw, reciprocating, jig, and hole saw blades, including specialized products such as the Intenss and MeatKutter lines); and Metrology Equipment (vision and optical systems, laser measurement including Profile360 Blue, force measurement, and precision granite surface plates). Recent launches—the HDV250 Digital Comparator, W4900 Touchscreen Electronic Indicator, and Profile360 Blue—indicate a deliberate product roadmap toward digital, AI-enabled, lower-price-point vision and laser metrology.

The company operates a B2B industrial sales model through a global network of industrial distributors complemented by direct sales to large accounts, with limited e-commerce for selected consumables such as band saw blades. End customers are primarily in aerospace manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, metalworking and machine shops, construction, and food processing, with named enterprise relationships including Roush Yates Engines and Ford Racing for NASCAR engine metrology. The company historically paid a 3-5% dividend yield, a rare trait among small-cap industrials. In March 2024, Starrett entered a definitive merger agreement with MiddleGround Capital to go private at $16.19 per share in an all-cash transaction representing approximately a 63% premium to the prior closing price, marking a structural change from public-company stewardship to private-equity sponsorship under which the company has subsequently refreshed its executive leadership and accelerated product launches.

Name

THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY

Legal name

The L.S. Starrett Company

Website

https://starrett.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The L.S. Starrett Company is a 145-year-old American manufacturer of precision measuring tools, gages, saw blades, and metrology systems serving aerospace, automotive, metalworking, construction, and food processing customers globally through industrial distributors. It operates manufacturing in the US, Brazil, Scotland, and China, and was taken private by MiddleGround Capital in March 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Measuring Instruments & Industrial Tools

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216), Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221), Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging) (IMAHADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Saws & Cutting Systems (Band/Circular Saws, Abrasive Cutting) (IMAHADAL), Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB), Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching) (IMAHADAD)

Keywords

• Precision measuring tools
• Industrial saw blades
• Dimensional metrology
• Laser measurement systems
• Vision inspection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Athol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Precision Measuring Tools Sales: Sale of precision measuring instruments including micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, height gages, electronic indicators, and related accessories for industrial quality control applications.
2. Saw Products Sales: Sale of band saw blades, reciprocating saw blades, hacksaw blades, jig saw blades, and hole saws for industrial cutting applications.
3. Metrology Systems: Sale of vision and optical metrology systems, laser measurement systems, and coordinate measurement equipment for manufacturing quality assurance.
4. Specialty Products: Sale of precision granite surface plates, gage blocks, levels, rules, squares, hand tools, and precision ground flat stock.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The L.S. Starrett Company manufactures more than 5,000 variations of precision tools, gages, measuring instruments, and saw blades for industrial, professional, and consumer markets. Its portfolio spans three core lines: precision measuring tools (micrometers, calipers, dial and electronic indicators, height gages), band saw blades and other industrial saw products, and metrology equipment including vision/optical systems, laser measurement systems, force measurement, and precision granite surface plates.

Product overview

THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY is a precision tools manufacturer with a portfolio of more than 5,000 product variations organized around three major product lines: Precision Measuring Tools, Band Saw Blades, and Metrology Equipment. The Precision Measuring Tools division encompasses core products like micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, electronic indicators (including the W4900 touchscreen electronic indicator), height gages, gages, precision rules, and DataSure 4.0 wireless data collection systems. The Band Saw Blades division includes bi-metal and carbide-tipped band saw blades, reciprocating saw blades, jig saw blades, and hole saws. The Metrology Equipment division covers Vision and Optical Systems, Laser Measurement Systems (including Profile360 Blue), Force Measurement, and Precision Granite Surface Plates. Supporting products include precision shop tools, carpenter rules, measuring tapes, levels, utility knives, scribers, layout dyes, and M1 lubricant. The company has recently introduced the HDV250 Digital Comparator and W4900 Touchscreen Electronic Indicator as new flagship products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Precision Measuring Tools Comprehensive line of precision measuring instruments including micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, electronic indicators, height gages, and gages for industrial, professional and consumer markets.
• Band Saw Blades Extensive range of band saw blades including bi-metal, carbide-tipped, and specialty blades such as the Intenss line and the MeatKutter blade for meat processing applications.
• Vision and Optical Metrology Systems Advanced vision metrology systems enabling automated inspection and quality control through high-resolution imaging and AI-driven analytics for in-process measurement and 100% inspection.
• Laser Measurement Systems Laser-based measurement and profile inspection systems including the Profile360 Blue for continuous 2D profile monitoring in production environments.
• Force Measurement Systems Force measurement systems for industrial testing and quality assurance applications.
• Precision Granite Surface Plates High-precision granite surface plates and accessories used as reference surfaces for precision measurement and inspection.
• Gage Blocks Precision gage blocks used as primary standards for calibration and dimensional verification in metrology applications.
• DataSure 4.0 Wireless Data Collection System Wireless data collection system enabling direct measurement data transfer to SPC software with customizable configuration and free software included.
• Reciprocating Saw Blades Wide range of reciprocating saw blades including carbide-tipped models delivering three times the lifespan and cutting speed over previous models.
• HDV250 Digital Comparator Next-generation digital comparator replacing traditional projection screens with high-resolution digital camera and monitor technology, with integrated LED ring light for enhanced surface illumination, supporting micron-level accuracy and digital traceability for quality assurance.
• W4900 Touchscreen Electronic Indicator First full-capability touchscreen electronic indicator combining versatility, performance, accuracy and ease of use with an intuitive interface for industrial measurement applications.
• Precision Ground Flat Stock Precision ground flat stock materials for industrial and manufacturing applications.
• Starrett Calibration Services Calibration services for precision tools and gages supporting industrial customers' quality assurance and compliance programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three times the lifespan and cutting speed for carbide-tipped reciprocating saw blades over previous models
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Roush Yates EnginescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Long-standing technical partnership providing precision measuring tools, technology, and equipment for NASCAR engine operations and racing applications. Partnership formalized since 2017, renewed in March 2026. Roush Yates uses Starrett metrology equipment to support machining over 50% of Ford FR9 engine components for NASCAR racing, developing over 900 high-performance race engines per season for Ford Racing's NASCAR teams.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KEYENCE Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of sensors, measuring systems, vision systems, and microscopes. Direct competitor in electronic indicators, laser profile measurement, and vision-based quality control — competing for the same factory automation budgets.
• SNA Europe (Bahco): European hand tool and band saw blade manufacturer (Bahco, Lindström). Direct competitor in professional-grade hand tools and bi-metal band saw blades serving metalworking and industrial customers in Europe and globally.
• Mitutoyo Corporation: Japanese-headquartered global leader in precision measuring instruments (micrometers, calipers, CMMs, vision systems). Directly comparable product overlap with Starrett's precision measuring and metrology divisions, both serving aerospace/automotive quality assurance.
• Renishaw plc: UK-based precision measurement specialist in probes, gauging, encoder systems, and additive manufacturing. Direct competitor in high-precision metrology and position feedback, serving similar aerospace/automotive/medical customers.

Broad incumbents

• Stanley Black & Decker: Owner of DeWalt, Craftsman, and Irwin tool brands including band saw and reciprocating blades. Competes with Starrett's power-tool accessories, hand tools, and measuring tape lines through broad industrial and DIY channels.
• ZEISS Industrial Metrology: Division of Carl Zeiss offering CMMs, optical and CT-based metrology systems. Comparable to Starrett's vision/optical metrology and laser measurement businesses, with deeper software and industrial-CT capability.
• Hexagon AB Manufacturing Intelligence: Global metrology and manufacturing software giant spanning CMMs, laser trackers, and CAD-driven inspection. Overlaps with Starrett's vision/optical metrology and force measurement offerings as part of a much broader portfolio serving aerospace, automotive, and electronics.
• Snap-on Incorporated (Lenox band saw blades): Diversified tool manufacturer owning the Lenox brand of band saw and consumable cutting products. Directly comparable to Starrett's band saw blade and power-tool accessory business for industrial cutting applications.

Emerging players

• Verisurf Software: US-based measurement software company for 3D inspection and reverse engineering using CMMs, laser trackers, and portable arms. Comparable to Starrett's data collection / SPC software ambitions and competes as a software layer on top of metrology hardware.
• FARO Technologies: US-based provider of 3D measurement, imaging, and realization technology (laser scanners, CMM arms). Comparable in laser-based dimensional metrology and competes with Starrett's laser measurement and Profile360 Blue line in production environments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starretttools
• Facebookfacebook.com/191568647531955
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starrett

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A5 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY