History of Sterling Gun Drills

Our Beginning to Present Day, and Who We Are:

"Sterling Gun Drills" may be recalled from years prior to 1994 when the Sterling Tool Group was part of Bijur Lubricating Corporation. Bijur sold Sterling Tool Group to Eldorado Tool Company of Milford, CT in November, 1994. At the time, Eldorado was the largest gun drill manufacturer in the USA. For the previous nine years to that, Sterling Tool Group grew from obscurity into the third largest deep hole drill and drilling systems supplier in the USA.

With sale of the Sterling Tool Group to Eldorado imminent, and an offer from Drill Masters Inc. to purchase Sterling rejected, I approached Tom Hall, owner of Drill Masters, Inc. in Hamden, CT to establish a manufacturing division in North Bennington Vermont. Sterling Tool Group developed a loyal customer base that would follow trust and quality service rather than a company name. This opportunity was realized and Drill Masters of Vermont incorporated in October, 1994. As anticipated, a large part of the Sterling customer base did return to what became Drill Masters of VT and Drill Masters of CT, with no financial consideration to Bijur. The plan successful formed a mutually beneficial relationship that remains today.

In the years that followed, both Drill Masters VT and CT developed, but so did confusion with customers over the identities of having two "Drill Masters". Success and gains of market share also became the solution. In 2002, Drill Masters of CT acquired Eldorado Tool Company and moved into the Milford facility. The sale was ironically, nine years to the day Eldorado purchased Sterling from Bijur. The acquisition established Drill Masters-Eldorado Tool Co., Inc., a.k.a. DME Tool Company, Inc. Now, Drill Masters-Eldorado Tool owned the rights to the "Sterling" name so in July 2006, Drill Masters of Vermont, Inc. was re-named to Sterling Gun Drills, Inc.

Today, Drill Masters-Eldorado Tool remains related to Sterling Gun Drills a common owner. However, we retain autonomy with separate operations in different states, unique methods of manufacture, sales network, pricing, Web presence, technical expertise, experience, and market focus. As separate entities, we will cross paths as competitors, but we also compliment each company with the ability to offer deep hole drilling solutions for the smallest to the largest customers.

Learn more about Sterling by reading our news releases.