During the 1990s, a local woodworking store had a banner hanging up among its machinery, clamps and woodworking supplies:
“Friends Don’t let Friends Buy Grizzly.”
It was a snarky and somewhat jingoistic statement on display above machines from Powermatic (made in McMinnville, Tennessee) and Delta Machinery (with factories in several places, including Milwaukee and Tupelo, Mississippi).
Unlike those U.S. brands, Grizzly made machines in Taiwan and sold directly to customers. So it was cheaper. The quality of the Grizzly stuff at the time was – in my opinion – hit or miss. The drill press I bought from Grizzly back then was good. But the welded-frame band saw I bought… I sent it back after two days of use. The trunnions were sheet metal and couldn’t hold the table at 90°.
During the last 30 years, the world of machinery and power tools has turned upside down multiple times. Tool brands have changed hands like a square dance. Most of the heavy machinery that was made in the U.S. is now made in Taiwan and China.
Even more mystifying is where the money goes. When you buy a machine or a tool that is made in Taiwan or China, does it matter to you where the profits go?
There’s not a right answer to the question. I happen to care. And though I wish that Powermatic still had its own foundry that Blanchard-ground all its cast-iron tops in Tennessee, I now do a different kind of math when I purchase a machine or tool.
Who gets the profits? And where in the world do they go?
Here’s a spreadsheet I keep on who owns what.
When I buy a Milwaukee drill, it could be made in one of five factories worldwide, including the U.S. The profits go to TTI, which is a Hong Kong company. (TTI also owns Ridgid and Ryobi.) But when I choose a DeWalt drill, which could be made in a variety of plants worldwide (including the U.S.), the profits go to Stanley Black & Decker, a never-sated behemoth (but a U.S. behemoth, nonetheless).
Which is better? That’s your call.
It can be hard to keep up with all the changes, which is why I keep a spreadsheet with the information and not a tattoo. Saw Stop was an American company, but now it’s owned by the German TTS Tooltechnic Systems. JET was owned by a Swiss holding company, now it’s owned by Gamut Capital Management, a U.S. private equity firm.
Which is better? I can’t say.
But the funny thing is how my personal calculus has changed with Grizzly Industrial. While working for Popular Woodworking Magazine, I watched Grizzly markedly improve almost all the machines in their line. I met the owner, Shiraz Balolia, a few times at events, though I don’t know him personally. But I have watched the company with great interest, visited two of their showrooms and bought their equipment.
These days, I have no problems recommending most Grizzly machines to my friends. Not only do I think the company does a good job with manufacturing and customer service, I’m also impressed by the Balolia family itself – an American success story if there ever was one. Shiraz built Grizzly from nothing and has grown and improved the company year after year.
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