Klein Snapshot – May 14
Throughout 2021, once a month we’re continuing to bring you a Klein Timeline Snapshot: a look back in time at a specific year, looking at what the world was like in said year, and what was happening with Klein Tools.
This month’s year: 1975
Toyota Corolla: $2,711
Bacon: $1.29 per pound
Upright Hoover Vacuum: $54.95
What was happening in the world: May 1975 marked a huge milestone in the history of America’s pastime, when the one millionth run was scored in Major League Baseball. Before the start of the 1975 season, the number of runs in the MLB was calculated to be 997,869. Throughout the 1975 season that number continued to rise, until May 4th at 3:26pm, when the count reached 999,999. Both Bob Watson of the Houston Astros and Dave Concepcion of the Cincinnati Reds came up to bat (in separate games). Both men hit homeruns at nearly the same time, and while Concepcion’s hit came a few seconds before Watson’s, Watson ended up reaching home plate first, giving him the historic one millionth run in MLB history.
What was happening with Klein Tools: During the early 1970s, Klein Tools forging factory in Illinois was receiving numerous complaints. The factory was next to an indoor tennis club, and the constant noise and motion of the factory was upsetting the club patrons. The complaints and arguments from the club leadership lead the Klein tools leadership to pursue options to move the factory, which they did in 1975, to Moran, Kansas. The Moran facility sat in the middle of a 154-acre soybean field, far from any tennis courts or other businesses. The town itself only had a population of 550 people, so Klein Tools moving their facilities there was quite the boon for the town. The Moran facility supplied virtually all of Klein Tools’ forging from 1976 to 1992.
