In 1872 Albert F. Prentice established A. F. Prentice & Co. In 1875 Frederick E. Reed invested in the company and in 1877 he acquired a controlling interest, and renamed the company to F. E. Reed. Later that same year A. F. Prentice joined two of his brothers to form a new company, Prentice Brothers Co. After F. E. Reed retired in 1912, the two companies merged to form Reed-Prentice Co. In 1922, Reed-Prentice Co. bought out Becker Milling Machine Co. and Whitcomb-Blaisdell Machine Tool Co. and continued to manufacture their lines at the factory in Worcester.
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