Does Northern Tool Own Jacks Small Engines? (And How Long Have They Been In Business?)

So your Honda lawn mower broke down again, and this time, it's in need of a new wheel kit. Instead of taking it to a professional for repair, you decided to try your hand at it yourself. Thankfully, finding replacement parts isn't that much of a hassle with trusted online stores like Jacks Small Engine. This parts supplier has been around as long as e-commerce has, and is one of the brands your dad (and maybe even grandpa) buys outdoor equipment parts from since forever.

Besides replacement parts, Jacks provides Briggs & Stratton and Honda engines, maintenance kits like oil and spark plugs, and even entire mowers from reliable push mower brands like Husqvarna and Honda. You can buy Jacks straight from the jackssmallengines.com site, the companion sites Mowers At Jacks and Snow Blowers At Jacks, and the Jarrettsville, Maryland, physical store. In recent years, though, Jacks has also become accessible from the Northern Tool website. Does this mean Northern Tool now owns Jacks Small Engines?

Since its establishment in the 1980s, Jacks Small Engines has been primarily run by its founder's family. About four decades later and the business is still doing pretty well under their management. In fact, Jacks is now known as the source of more than three million outdoor power equipment parts from 400 vendors. The business has also constantly moved to bigger locations over the years to accommodate the growing demand. In 2017, it opened its company-owned warehouse and fulfillment center in Forest Hill, Maryland, which covers 30,000 square feet.

But in April 2021, Jacks was acquired by Northern Tool. The Minnesota-based tools and equipment supplier was looking to expand its parts and service solutions, and Jacks was just the brand to fill the role. So yes, Northern Tool actually owns Jacks Small Engines. It plans to offer Jacks parts to both its online and in-store customers. Although the online parts company is now under new ownership, John and Adine Cumberland will still be part of its operations through the Northern Tool crew.

Founded by former IBM employee Jack Cumberland, Jacks Small Engines has been in business for roughly 40 years, starting in the 1980s. It was originally a small generator repair shop in Harford County, Maryland, but then Jack opened the company's first parts and equipment retail location in Jarrettsville in 1990. By June 1997, his website, jackssmallengines.com, was live. Surprisingly, their first online customer happened to be from Hawaii. This first order immediately pushed Jack to further improve the website. With the help of his son, John, who was already a web developer, and John's wife, Adine, the offerings on the Jacks Small Engines website slowly expanded. Before long, the business became one of the top parts dealers across the country, and John and Adine took over its operations.

Also a family-owned enterprise, Northern Tool has been a tools and equipment manufacturer and supplier since 1981. It started off as Northern Hydraulics, located in Eagan, Minnesota, which sold hydraulic parts, in-house-designed log splitters, and other tools. The founder, Don Kotula, quickly grew the company and opened stores left and right. Nine years later, it launched NorthStar, its first-ever private label line of outdoor power tools and equipment. With its wider range of products, the business name was changed to Northern Tool + Equipment in 1998. Today, Northern Tool operates 120 stores, manufactures 12 private labels, and carries some major brands like budget-friendly DeWalt tools, Honda engines, and Quincy air compressors.