Vermont Sales – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
Vermont Sales is a South African distributor of tools, hardware and DIY products sold through hardware stores.
How Vermont Sales has built and protected its brands in South Africa – its trademark portfolio, where it expanded, how quickly its marks are registered, and who it competes with.
Download report (PDF)Vermont Sales trademarks in 45 seconds

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/vermont-sales-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
Vermont Sales filed its first South African trademark in 2002 and has filed 208 since; its busiest year was 2024, with 131 new filings. The chart shows its filings per year from 1970.
Trademarks by filing year, up to 2024; applications still pending are not included.
The names behind the portfolio
Over the years the group has filed under several names – earlier company names, holding companies and subsidiaries. We count them together.
| Name | Marks | Filing years |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont Sales | 208 | 2002–2024 |
Where Vermont Sales expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. Vermont Sales' portfolio is concentrated in machines (class 7), hand tools (class 8), electronics & software (class 9). Its most recent moves were into paints (2024), paper & print (2024), rubber & plastics (2024).
Vermont Sales trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/vermont-sales-south-african-trademarks/class-expansion-video.html
Each tile is a class; it lights up when the group first files in it and darkens with more filings; the dots show how many of its closest rivals also file in that class. The chart compares the number of classes used with its rivals. The video runs from 1970; classes entered earlier are lit from the start.
| Class | Marks | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Machines | 35 | 16.8% | 2009 |
| 8 Hand tools | 31 | 14.9% | 2002 |
| 9 Electronics & software | 29 | 13.9% | 2013 |
| 35 Advertising & retail | 29 | 13.9% | 2015 |
| 3 Cosmetics & cleaning | 21 | 10.1% | 2013 |
| 20 Furniture | 16 | 7.7% | 2013 |
| 41 Education & entertainment | 12 | 5.8% | 2015 |
| 1 Chemicals | 10 | 4.8% | 2022 |
The brands Vermont Sales protects most
The word marks and logo names Vermont Sales has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D-TECH | 21 | 7 | 2015–2024 |
| 2 | AIRCRAFT PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS | 17 | 6 | 2024–2024 |
| 3 | AD | 16 | 8 | 2022–2024 |
| 4 | VERMONT SALES | 11 | 11 | 2024–2024 |
| 5 | AIR CRAFT PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS | 10 | 5 | 2021–2021 |
| 6 | TORK CRAFT TOOLS FOR EVERY JOB | 10 | 5 | 2018–2018 |
| 7 | TORK CRAFT | 8 | 7 | 2002–2018 |
| 8 | PRO-TECH | 8 | 2 | 2022–2022 |
| 9 | TALKCRAFT | 7 | 4 | 2024–2024 |
| 10 | A BLADE FOR EVERY CUT | 6 | 6 | 2024–2024 |
| 11 | TOOLS FOR EVERY JOB | 6 | 6 | 2024–2024 |
| 12 | D-TECH CHEMICAL ANCHOR | 5 | 5 | 2024–2024 |
| 13 | D-TECH DOMINATOR | 5 | 5 | 2024–2024 |
| 14 | D-TECH DYNAMIC | 5 | 5 | 2024–2024 |
| 15 | FACTORY TOOL SHOP | 5 | 5 | 2024–2024 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)








Vermont Sales' logos
The 8 different logos Vermont Sales has had published since 2020 – each logo shown once, however many classes or versions it was filed in. Logos protected in more classes come first.








How quickly its trademarks are registered
Over the last five years, Vermont Sales' marks took a median of 2.2 years from filing to registration, faster than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 1.6 years from filing to acceptance (market: 1.9). Registration itself follows about half a year after acceptance.
Median years from filing to registration per registration year, split into examination (filing → acceptance) and acceptance → registration; the dashed line is the market median. A high recent value means older applications came through that year.
Who files the most in Vermont Sales' classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Vermont Sales' main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Vermont Sales' market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, Vermont Sales was #1 of 1,185 filers in class 7 (machines), with 27 of 1,880 trademarks; #1 of 395 filers in class 8 (hand tools), with 25 of 691 trademarks; #16 of 4,926 filers in class 9 (electronics & software), with 25 of 10,252 trademarks.
Vermont Sales' share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.
Top trademark filers in class 7 (machines), South Africa 1975–2024: Vermont Sales

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/vermont-sales-south-african-trademarks/class-7-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like Vermont Sales
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Vermont Sales' – the same mix of classes and the same words in their marks – not by size. Large filers in its classes that do something different rank lower here.
Vermont Sales trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/vermont-sales-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: Vermont Sales (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motus | Retailer's own brands | 82% |
| 2 | TFG | Retailer's own brands | 79% |
| 3 | Autozone | Retailer's own brands | 74% |
| 4 | Massmart | Retailer's own brands | 73% |
| 5 | Shoprite | Retailer's own brands | 71% |
| 6 | Building | Retailer's own brands | 70% |
| 7 | Walmart | Retailer's own brands | 66% |
| 8 | Bidvest | Other field | 72% |
| 9 | Michelin | Other field | 68% |
| 10 | LG Electronics | Other field | 66% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
Vermont Sales – relevant export countries
South Africa exported US$6.9 billion of the goods Vermont Sales' main classes cover in the last year – machines; machine tools; parts; saws (class 7); hand tools; hand-operated; blades; parts (class 8); computer software; measuring; computers; gloves (class 9); cosmetics; essential oils; dentifrices; perfumery (class 3); furniture; mirrors; picture frames; not of metal (class 20). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Vermont Sales' trademarks matter most.
Where South Africa exports Vermont Sales' top goods
Vermont Sales' trademarks most often cover machines, hand tools, cosmetics and furniture. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 66% of its exports of them in 2024.
South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones Vermont Sales' specifications mention most in its main classes; the figures are national exports, not the company's own sales.
Adjust the weightings
These weightings decide how the countries below are ranked. Change any value and the others adjust to keep the total at 100%.
Worldwide
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Union | 80 | US$1.2 billion | +0% | National | US$2,388 |
| 2 | United States of America | 73 | US$444 m | +2% | National | US$3,425 |
| 3 | Türkiye | 61 | US$286 m | +6% | National | US$1,258 |
| 4 | India | 60 | US$30 m | +5% | National | US$1,295 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 59 | US$92 m | -1% | National | US$1,371 |
| 6 | Canada | 59 | US$55 m | -0% | National | US$2,192 |
| 7 | Australia | 57 | US$143 m | -3% | National | US$2,380 |
| 8 | Russian Federation | 55 | US$13 m | +4% | National | US$1,915 |
| 9 | Hong Kong SAR | 55 | US$10 m | +6% | National | US$1,715 |
| 10 | Indonesia | 54 | US$37 m | +3% | National | US$2,630 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OAPI (17 states) | 50 | US$215 m | +11% | National | US$1,563 S&Z |
| 2 | Morocco | 49 | US$17 m | +20% | National | US$1,408 |
| 3 | Zimbabwe | 48 | US$528 m | +13% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 4 | Namibia | 48 | US$506 m | +18% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 5 | Nigeria | 48 | US$45 m | -6% | National | US$1,015 S&Z |
| 6 | Mozambique | 46 | US$356 m | +13% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 7 | Egypt | 46 | US$12 m | -3% | National | US$2,278 |
| 8 | Tanzania | 45 | US$111 m | +2% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 9 | Algeria | 45 | US$776 k | +32% | National | US$1,445 |
| 10 | Lesotho | 43 | US$103 m | +37% | National | US$326 |
SA exports = South Africa's exports of these goods to the market in the last year. Ranked with the default weightings. Score 0–100 from South Africa's exports of the goods to the market, net imports, import growth, foreign trademark filings, where the goods are made, market size and the cost of protection. Costs are total fees (official and professional) to file in 5 classes; ARIPO costs are per country, plus US$301 once per ARIPO application; S&Z = S&Z's own all-in price. Goods are taken from the classes and specifications, so the ranking is indicative.
Trade data: CEPII BACI (version 202601, trade flows 2022–2024), Licence Etalab 2.0; aggregated and combined with other data by S&Z.
Protecting its top brands in Nigeria and OAPI with S&Z
| Brand | Classes | Nigeria | OAPI (17 states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-TECH | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| AIRCRAFT PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS | 6 | US$1,218 | US$1,748 |
| AD | 8 | US$1,624 | US$2,117 |
| VERMONT SALES | 11 | US$2,233 | US$2,671 |
| AIR CRAFT PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
S&Z all-in prices per brand in its number of classes, filing to registration.
TM Country Selection Rank the countries for your own goods and get the quotes.
Word marks you may have considered opposing
For Vermont Sales' five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Vermont Sales' own group) that our similar word mark search, SimTM, found in the brand's own classes, and that we consider confusingly similar – from the earliest match found to today.
Similar to D-TECH (classes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 35; searched 2018-02-28 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to AIRCRAFT PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS (classes 3, 7, 8, 9, 20, 35; searched 2018-04-25 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to VERMONT SALES (classes 3, 9, 35; searched 2018-06-27 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to AIR CRAFT PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS (classes 3, 7, 8, 9, 20; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to TORK CRAFT TOOLS FOR EVERY JOB (classes 3, 7, 8, 9, 20; searched 2018-08-29 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similarity of the words only. Whether a mark could have been opposed depends on the goods and services, the reputation of the brand and the facts – S&Z can advise. New marks like these are what SimTM watch reports as they are published.
How S&Z can help you
S&Z does not just file trademarks. We are a technology-first firm that manages trademarks – analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected.
We manage your trademarks – not just file them
Analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected:
Filing and renewal at fixed, all-inclusive prices
S&Z prices – South African trademarks
| Filing, first class – incl. official fee, examination report, routine office action, acceptance, publication, registration and e-certificate | US$240 |
| Each additional class of the same mark, filed at the same time | US$225 |
| Renewal online, per class (every 10 years from filing) | R1,027 ≈ US$62.29 |
Renewal in rand; US$ at R16.49 per US$.
Vermont Sales' next five years of renewals
29 of Vermont Sales' registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$1,806 over the five years.
Vermont Sales: frequently asked questions
What should Vermont Sales consider for its trademarks?
- Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in OAPI (17 states), Zimbabwe and Namibia – markets where South African exports of the same goods are large or growing, and where S&Z files at its own all-in prices (see “Vermont Sales – relevant export countries”).
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 11 (lighting & appliances), class 27 (carpets) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Renewals and use: keep track of the ten-year renewal dates and of marks that are no longer used – unused marks can be challenged after five years, and some may no longer be worth renewing.
