My favourite brand on that list stands out for me.... Hilti are not only in the top 5, but the only company to have developed one brand and developed it well, and all while still a private company. Since I started out in the early 90's, I've yet to have one of their tools let me down on site.
Many of the others appear to have grown by acquisition (Stanley Black&Decker), Trading on a respected name to introduce a cheaper brand (Snap-on /Blue Point), or using their consumer retail outlets to re-brand probably the same lines as their competitors (Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight).
