Bauer Factory Supply started out as a local corner hardware store in Newark, New Jersey, back in 1908, founded by Frank Xavier Bauer. The business thrived until the Great Depression forced Frank to close. By the 1940s, with the revival of industry brought on by World War II, Frank Bauer started again, this time distributing supplies to various local industries. In 1947, Bauer officially became incorporated as a mill supply house. From then on, the business continued to grow and was passed on to second generation of Bauers: Frank’s sons Carl, Richard, and Walter. In the late 1980s, the business was turned over to a third generation: Richard Bauer’s two sons, Robert and Raymond. In response to the technological changes and growth in industry, they shifted the company’s focus from general mill supplies to technical cutting tools.