This firm was apparently established in 1940. Beginning in 1948, they made a gravity-fed metal-cutting bandsaw that had been patented by Carl A. Furtwangler. In 1999 the rights to the gravity-fed saw were acquired by Dake Corp., which continues to sell the "Work-A-Matic SXC" gravity-fed bandsaw, which it also refers to as the "SXC Parma" saw.
Besides Dake's SCX Parma saw, the same gravity-fed design is being made by Roll-In Saw. The Roll-In Saw website's history page states that the company was founded in 1940 and that their "The Original" saw is still the best seller that the company has. In addition, they also make other style horizontal and vertical band saws. We do not understand the relationship between Parma, Dake, and Roll-In Saw.
Information Sources
- A discussion on weldingweb.com has pictures of a gravity-fed bandsaw labeled as ""WORK-A-MATIC / PARMA MFG. CO., INC. / Parma, Michigan 49269 / Manufacturer of Band Saws since 1948."
- The Dake website's history section provided the information that they acquired the rights to the Parma saw in 1999.
- A discussion on owwm.org provides an explanation of how two companies came to be making basically the same product.