Illinois Tool Works (ITW) was founded in 1912 and has a long history of being a conglomerate in the industrial segment. It has over the years acquired company after company, making it a powerhouse within its various operating segments. With operations in automotive equipment, test and measurement and electronics, food equipment, polymers and fluids, welding, the construction industry, and specialty categories, the company is economically sensitive in more ways than one. The company has, however, been a steady compounding growth machine and continues to work toward a brighter future. The company