In 1948 Hanchett Manufacturing Co. spun off their magnetic chuck business into a separate organization, the Hanchett Magna-Lock Corp., which was located at 1020 East Maple Street in Big Rapids. In 1970 the name changed to Magna-Lock Corp. and by this time the business seems to have been struggling. In 1974 they were acquired by Hitachi Metals American Ltd. to become the Hitachi Magna-Lock Corp., still at 1020 Maple in Big Rapids. The following year they acquired Sundstrand's line of magnetic products, including the Power-Grip lifting magnet, from Sundstrand Magnetic Product Co. In 1978 they acquired Thompson Vacuuum Co. for their line of vacuum chucks. In 1981 they acquired Brown & Sharpe's line of Micro-Mesh and Uni-Mesh permanent magnet chucks.
In 1985 one of Magna-Lock's long-time and largest customers, grinder manufacturer Mattison Technologies, Inc., acquired Magna-Lock's entire product line except the lifting magnets and the permanent-magnet chuck lines, and relocated their manufacture to Rockford, Illinois. The lifting magnets and permanent-magnet chuck lines were sold to the Magnetic Specialities (1985) Corp. which was established by former Magna-Lock employee Bruck Cocklin.
In 1997 Mattison closed its doors and the assets ended up with DeVlieg-Bullard, which then sold the Magna-Lock product lines of the president of Centro-Metalcut, Inc,. Don Blachford. In 2002 Tri-CAM, Inc. was established and purchased the Magna-Lock product lines from Centro-Metalcut, Inc. In 2007 Tri-CAM sold the Magna-Lock product lineup to their own vice-president, David Nordman, who formed Magna-Lock USA, Inc.
Between 1985 and 2010, then, the pre-1985 product lineup were divided into two groups: the lift magnet and permanent magnetic chuck lines went to Magnetic Specialties Corp., and the rest went to Mattison, which went under, then those Magna-Lock products went Centro-Metalcut, Inc., which was bought out by Tri-CAM, Inc., which split apart with the Magna-Lock product line going to the newly formed Magna-Lock USA, Inc. Then, in 2010, Magnetic Specialties Corp. ceased doing business and their product lines were sold to Magna-Lock USA, Inc., and their manufacturing moved to Illinois. Thus, the old Magna-Lock product lineup was reunited. In 2018 Magna-Lock USA, Inc., changed its name to
Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc. The "Magna-Lock USA" name lives on as a brand within the Obsidian umbrella.
Information Sources
- Much of the information here is taken from the history page for the Magna-Lock USA website (an Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc. brand).
- 1948 Railway Locomotives and Cars (Volume 122, page 115).
HANCHETT MAGNA-LOCK CORPORATION. The Hanchett Magna-Lock Corporation of Big Rapids, Mich., has been organized to continue the line of magnetic chucks formerly produced by the Hanchett Manufacturing Company, also of Big Rapids. Officers of the new company are J. F. Manting, president; D. D. Stone, vice-president and treasurer, and R. V. Hanchett, secretary.
- 1951 Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record, Volume 87 page 36. "Magna-Lock, Inc., 1020 E. Maple, Big Rapids; manufacturing business; Harold S. Sawyer, 390 Michigan Trust Bldg., Grand Rapids, $50,000".
- November 1952 issue of American Machinist & Automated Manufacturing (Volume 96 Issue 24, page C-46), advertisement. "Magna-Lock, THE ONLY EXCLUSIVE MANUFACTURER OF MAGNETIC CHUCKS AND HOLDING DEVICES, Hanchett Magna-Lock Corporation concentrates the entire research and production facilities of this modern plant on continuous improvement of Magna-Lock Magnetic Chucks and Devices - the finest equipment of its kind because it embodies engineering know-how and craftsmanship care in construction."
- 1965 patent—applied for in 1961—number 3,196,320, for a "magnetic lift device", was assigned to Hanchett Magna-Lock Corporation, Big Rapids, Michigan.
- Trademark registrations: 577,209 (S/N 614,939); 709,972.
- April 1976 Report of the Secretary of Commerce in Compliance with the Foreign Investment Study Act of 1974, page A-193, lists "Big Rapids... Hitachi Magna-Lock / Japan / ... / [Employment] 50".
- 1978 Industrial Equipment News (Volume 46, issues 7-12, page 63), mentions "Hitachi Magna Lock".
- 1981-04-03 Federal Register, page 20306, lists "Hitachi Magna Lock Corp. 1020 East Maple Street, Big Rapids, Michigan 49307."
- 1984 Wood & Wood Products (Volume 89, Issues 1-5, page 94) mentions "HITACHI MAGNA-LOCK Division of Hitachi Metals International, Ltd. 1020 E. Maple St. Big Rapids, Michigan 49307 U.S.A." This is virtually the only mention of "Hitachi Magna-Lock Division" that we could find other than the one below.
- 1992 Labor Cases, Volume 122, page 82-305. "Hitachi Magnetics Corporation, located in Edmore, Michigan purchased the Magna-Lock Corporation from Dayton Stone in 1974. The Magna-Lock Corporation was renamed Hitachi Magna-Lock Corporation. In 1982 Hitachi Magna-Lock Corporation became Hitachi Magna-Lock Division of Hitachi Metals International, Ltd. ..."