I think you covered it toploader1984
Similar to when WCI gobbled up Kelvinator, Westinghouse, Frigidaire... Gibson, Tappan.
I chuckle when I hear people say, boy Sears makes great tools. Uh, no they don't. Actually Sears USED to sell great tools when Dahaher supplied the Craftsman line but not anymore.
Or one of the very few instances when I set foot in SprawlMart and overheard some sheeple........oh wow, honey look, GE is back making fans again! Curious, I flipped the box over and said, dist by Walmart Stores, Bentonville Ark. And of course, the fan was made in China. Big surprise eh? Little secret, GE got out of the small appliance biz in the 80's when Neutron Jack Welch said be either #1 or #2 or sell the business.
Or if you ventured into one of your local BIG BOX stores, Lowes in this case, you'll see GE branded holiday light bulbs. GE hasn't made its own holiday light sets since Jimmy Carter was president. But the name lives on.
Brand names IMHO don't carry as much weight as they once did. Not when the vast majority of stuff is made by contract factories in the Far East for the lowest possible price. Nevertheless, Harvard and Wharton continue to churn out "brand managers" like tubes of toothpaste. I recall GM once hired a guy from P&G to "manage" 5 car divisions. Seemed he thought selling a Pontiac was the same as selling a jug of Tide. We all know how well that worked!
Cub Cadet used to be a stellar piece of equipment. Well it was until MTD picked it up from IHC for a song. For a while, MTD left well enough alone. But over time, they cheapened it down so it could be placed in your local BIG BOX. Save for the yellow and white paint, it is no more the mower than a no name MTD sold at Tractor Supply. Go look at Bolens, Gravely, White, and Troy Bilt. Or better yet, take a close look at the Ariens front engine riders. Notice the ID tag on the back? See where it says Spartanburg SC? Yup, AYP American yard Products makes that, not Ariens.
Honestly, how many people are fooled when buying a Maytag these days when under the hood, it is a Whirlpool through and through?
Fact it, most sheeple could simply care less. And manufacturers know this and capitalize on it big time.
