Harbor Freight Tools is owned by Eric Smidt and sources products through vendors; CPSC identifies it as importer of specific China-made Predator power stations, not as their factory. [3][1][2]

Who makes Harbor Freight Tools?

Owner
Eric Smidt, USA; a July 2025 business profile describes him as sole owner after his 1999 buyout. [3]
Made by
Product-specific vendors. For Predator SKU 70084, CPSC names Harbor Freight as importer/distributor but leaves the factory unnamed. [1][2]
Made in
China is confirmed for the recalled Predator 2000-watt power station. The reviewed evidence does not establish one country for Harbor Freight’s whole tool range. [1]

Last checked · 3 sources · English source review

Harbor Freight Tools supply chain map

Select a node to inspect its role and evidence. Arrows show ownership or manufacturing relationships, not shipment volumes.

Brand

→ Owner

→ Manufacturer

→ Factory

Harbor Freight Tools

Harbor Freight Tools is owned by Eric Smidt and sources products through vendors; CPSC identifies it as importer of specific China-made Predator power stations, not as their factory.

Evidence: [3][1][2]

Text version of the map

  • Harbor Freight Tools (Brand): Harbor Freight Tools is owned by Eric Smidt and sources products through vendors; CPSC identifies it as importer of specific China-made Predator power stations, not as their factory. [3][1][2]
  • Harbor Freight Tools → Eric Smidt (Owner): Eric Smidt, USA; a July 2025 business profile describes him as sole owner after his 1999 buyout. [3]
  • Harbor Freight Tools → Harbor Freight Tools manufacturing (Manufacturer): Product-specific vendors. For Predator SKU 70084, CPSC names Harbor Freight as importer/distributor but leaves the factory unnamed. [1][2]

Who owns Harbor Freight Tools?

The Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 profile dates the business to Eric and Allan Smidt’s 1977 venture, Eric’s presidency to 1985 and his buyout to 1999. Retail ownership is separate from the identity of the contracted factories. [3]

Who actually makes Harbor Freight Tools products?

The July 2025 vendor manual sets requirements for testing, inspections and manufacturing-process audits. That is evidence of a vendor sourcing system. It does not support assigning every Harbor Freight tool to one OEM. [2]

Where are Harbor Freight Tools products made?

CPSC’s July 3, 2025 notice specifies China for Predator 2000W Power Stations, SKU 70084, sold February–April 2025. Harbor Freight is listed as importer and distributor. The notice does not disclose the underlying plant. [1]

Is Harbor Freight Tools made in China or the USA?

Some Harbor Freight products are confirmed made in China: SKU 70084 is a precise example. The reviewed records do not prove that every tool is Chinese-made or establish a comprehensive US-made assortment. [1][2]

Same factory, different label

Predator’s recall is not proof that a visually similar generator or tool from a competing brand shares a factory. The vendor manual describes sourcing and quality requirements, not a cross-brand equivalence table. [1][2]

Compare the sourced ownership and manufacturing guides: KobaltCraftsmanDeWaltRIDGIDBauer ToolsHercules Tools

Ownership timeline

  1. 1977: Eric Smidt began working in the family tool business. [3]
  2. 1999: Smidt bought out his father and became sole owner, according to the 2025 profile. [3]
  3. 2025-07-03: CPSC documented Harbor Freight’s importer role for China-made Predator power stations. [1]

Frequently asked questions

4 questions about this supply chain, answered from the records above.

Where are harbor freight tools made?

China is confirmed for the recalled Predator 2000-watt power station. The reviewed evidence does not establish one country for Harbor Freight’s whole tool range.[1]

Who makes harbor freight tools?

Product-specific vendors. For Predator SKU 70084, CPSC names Harbor Freight as importer/distributor but leaves the factory unnamed.[1][2]

Who owns harbor freight tools?

Eric Smidt, USA; a July 2025 business profile describes him as sole owner after his 1999 buyout.[3]

Are Harbor Freight tools made in China?

Some are: CPSC confirms China for Predator 2000W Power Stations SKU 70084. That notice does not identify the factory or establish the origin of every Harbor Freight tool.[1]

Sources and scope

Year-only source dates denote the report’s coverage year. Dated disclosures establish the facts described at that time. Plant output, contracts and ownership can change; this is a selected map, not a complete supplier census.

  1. [1] CPSC: Predator 2000-watt power stations — 2025-07-03 · Primary source · Reviewed 2026-10-21.

    Names Harbor Freight as importer/distributor and China as origin for SKU 70084; does not name the factory.

  2. [2] Harbor Freight domestic vendor guidelines — 2025-07 · Primary source · Reviewed 2026-10-21.

    Documents vendor testing, inspection and manufacturing-process requirements, rather than one exclusive manufacturer.

  3. [3] Los Angeles Business Journal: Eric Smidt — 2025-07-15 · Reporting · Reviewed 2026-10-21.

    Reports 1977 origins, 1985 presidency and 1999 buyout that made Eric Smidt sole owner.

Unconfirmed

  • Unnamed factory behind Predator SKU 70084; current OEMs and origins for the rest of the assortment; same-factory claims about competing tool brands.