This business was founded in 1912 as Standard Electric Tool Co. In the mid-1920 we start to see the name Standard Electrical Tool Co., with some overlap where both names were in use. In 1927 the business was acquired by George Feltes, who in 1903 had established U. S. Electrical Tool Co. and then in 1925 had left that firm. Standard Electrical Tool Co. made precision portable electric tools and grinders, including bench grinders. Many of their products carried the "Cadet" name.

In 1962 they sold their grinder/buffer line to Cincinnati Electrical Tool Co, which continued their manufacture. At some point Standard Electrical Tool changed their name to SETCO Industries, Inc., and under that name they are still in business, making precision spindles and slides.

Information Sources

• Historical information is from the SETCO web site.
• 1906-12-29 Electrical Review, in a list of new incorporations.

  CINCINNATI, OHIO—Millcreek Valley Electric Company. $10,000. lncorporators: George Feltes, D. H. Hauss, A. Smith, William Kling and Wilson Halin.

  The 1901-12-15 Street Railway Review mentions, "General manager Wagenhals, of the Hamilton, Glendale & Cincinnati Traction Co. and the Millcreek Valley Electric Co., has leased a piece of property ..." so it appears that Millcreek Valley Electric was not new in 1906; the firm apparently ran a street railway and so we presume that it is not a predecessor of Standard Electrical Tool Co.
• A patent search back to 1920 did not turn up any patents assigned to "Standard Electrical Tool", though we did find a handful of patents assigned to SETCO, spanning 1965 through 2005.
• 1927-09-08 American Machinist, in an article about exhibitors at the American Society for Steel Treating Exposition in Detroit.

  Standard Electrical Tool Co.—215. Electric drills; electric driven grinders; buffing and polishing machines. G. H. Feltes, pres. and treas.; C. C. McGill, dist. mgr., Detroit; R. C. Feltes, dist. mgr., Chicago.

• June 1936 Machinery (Vol. 42 p. 74), Obituaries.

  George H. Feltes, president and treasurer of the Standard Electrical Tool Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, died suddenly of acute indigestion on May 6 at French Lick Springs, Ind. Mr. Feltes was born in Glendale, Ohio, in 1879. He was a pioneer in the electrical tool industry, having entered the field in 1903 when he organized the U. S. Electrical Tool Co. He was secretary, treasurer, and sales manager of this company from 1903 to 1925, at which time he retired from business. In about a year's time, however, he re-entered business after acquiring control of the Standard Electrical Tool Co., of which he was president and treasurer at the time of his death.

• 1936 issue of Mill & Factory (Vol. 18, page 86).

  George H. Feltes, President and Treasurer of The Standard Electrical Tool Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, died suddenly on May 6th at French Lick Springs, Indiana. He and Mrs. Feltes were completing their annual spring vacation after spending about two weeks at Hot Springs, Ark. Mr. Feltes was enjoying apparent good health and plans were made for returning home on May 7 when his untimely death occurred. After playing golf with several friends in the morning, Mr. Feltes returned to the hotel and complained of having indigestion. A physician was consulted and his condition was considered not serious, although shortly thereafter Mr. Feltes was seized with acute indigestion and passed away. Mr. Feltes was born in Glendale, Ohio, November 23, 1879 and attended public...

• The 1941-03-02 Cincinnati Enquirer mentions, "...brother served as President, with Richard Feltes as Vice President and Secretary until George Feltes's death three years ago..."
• Thanks to Linn Wilbur for investigating the SETCO/Cincinnati connection in this OWWM discussion.
• Serial numbering was sequential. Reference point: s/n 58595 was built in 1960.