Our History
In 1947, the Oregon Saw Chain Manufacturing Corporation was founded with four employees and one product. Today, the Oregon brand is part of Oregon Tool, Inc, a corporation with more than 3,000 employees and thousands of products. Here are some of the people, products and events that have marked the history of the world's number-one name in saw chain, guide bars, sprockets, forestry accessories, and outdoor equipment parts - Oregon.
![A Better Way of Woodcutting](/medias/joseph-buford-cox-500x400.png?context=bWFzdGVyfGltYWdlc3wxOTQyMjB8aW1hZ2UvcG5nfGFXMWhaMlZ6TDJnMFppOW9aVE12T0RneE56WTVNekUyTXpVMU1DNXdibWN8MThkYzJkYTAwMjVhMjExM2M4YzM0ZDQ1Zjk3ZjM0M2YxZWEwZjBkYzUxOTEyZGEwOTEzYTE4ZDA4MDZlMzNmMg)
A Better Way of Woodcutting
Logger/inventor Joseph Buford Cox was chopping firewood one chilly autumn day in 1946 when he paused for a moment to examine curious activity in a tree stump. A timber-beetle larva, the size of a man's forefinger, was easily chewing its way through sound timber, going both across and with the wood grain at will. Joe was an experienced operator of the gas-powered saws used in those days, but the cutting chain was a problem. It required a lot of filing and maintenance time. "I spent several months looking for nature's answer to the problem," Joe recalled. "I found it in the larva of the timber beetle.
![](/medias/larva-cutter-500x500.png?context=bWFzdGVyfGltYWdlc3wxMjk4NDd8aW1hZ2UvcG5nfGFXMWhaMlZ6TDJnME15OW9ZMkV2T0RneE56WTVNelk0Tnpnek9DNXdibWN8NzQ2MmExZDU2YzJlMjJlY2Y2NzVjMDA4MTc4ZDE4Njc2N2E1NTU3NGY5NDQyYzgwY2Q2YzUxYTg1ZmUxMzNiZA)
![](/medias/joe-cox-pdx-home-500x500.png?context=bWFzdGVyfGltYWdlc3wyMTM4MTB8aW1hZ2UvcG5nfGFXMWhaMlZ6TDJoa1pDOW9PV1V2T0RneE56WTVNek0yTURFMU9DNXdibWN8ODBlYjUyODQ5MWE1YmEzNWJjMjc3Yzc4ZmViNjNmNTRmNTQ4MzMzMjE0M2JiZTc3Zjg4ZDg3ZWZiODM4NzA1Mw)
![](/medias/oregon-historical-scoiety-orhi89877-500x500.png?context=bWFzdGVyfGltYWdlc3w0NDcwMzR8aW1hZ2UvcG5nfGFXMWhaMlZ6TDJoak1DOW9ZV1l2T0RneE56WTVOREEwT0RJNE5pNXdibWN8ZGU0ZTAxODE0Y2E4NDdlOWMxMTJkZGI3NGVmZGQyNjRlNmEzM2VlNThlOGNkNjIyMTQwNjA0MTVhNjg1MGJiMQ)
The Story of Oregon
Getting up early and doing a good day of work is a way of life for you, and it's our way of life too. That's why we make high-quality, durable products you can depend on every day.