Page 14 - CMA PROfiles Spring 2020

ASSOCIATE OF THE QUARTER
COLONIAL SAW

There are many ways to be successful and that we don’t know as well, we’ve
in business. As companies grow, they really tried to stay focused on these
often face pressure to expand and excellent product lines.”
diversify — shiny new things tend to
get a lot of attention, after all. But SERVICE TO SALES
plenty of businesses achieve steady, Colonial Saw was started in Buffalo,
impressive success by concentrating NY, in 1949 by John McLaren as a saw
on what they do best and not service shop; in 1951, the business
diversifying. began its history as an importer of
machinery. Manny Pacheco took over
This has been Colonial Saw’s strategy Colonial Saw in 1966 and moved it
since its beginnings. The company to Kingston, MA. Manny was joined
has been the exclusive importer in the business by his daughter, Jean
of Striebig vertical panel saws and Pacheco Ravinski, and his son-in-law,
Lamello woodworking machines and Paul Ravinski.
connectors for more than 40 years.
Colonial Saw introduced biscuit joining Colonial added Schneeberger Grinders
to the United States and was part of out of Switzerland to its offerings in
the initial group of importers who 1972, and a couple of years later, Hans
educated Americans on the European Schneeberger recommended Colonial
32mm system of cabinetmaking. Saw to his Swiss business associates
Concentrating on its niche – importing Herman Steiner (the inventor of the
high-quality Swiss woodworking biscuit joiner and founder of Lamello)
machinery – and its decades-long, and Ludwig Striebig (the inventor
strong relationships with Striebig and of the European vertical panel saw).
Lamello has brought the business The two inventors wanted to sell
steady success. their inventions across the globe, and
“We’ve installed and still support Colonial Saw has been the US agent
thousands of Striebig machines for Lamello and Striebig ever since.
across North America and tens of Paul Ravinski took over as President
thousands of Lamello tools,” says of Colonial Saw in the mid-70s, and
Dave Rakauskas, VP at Colonial Saw. the company hired its first employee
“Instead of spreading ourselves too outside the family. Forty-five years
thin, offering a lot of different prod- later, it remains family-run. “We never
ucts that everyone else is also offering had any shareholders or any bank

Left to right: Colonial Saw’s Dave Bull (Striebig Product Manager), Dave Rakauskas (VP),
and Chris Hofmann (Lamello Product Manager)

12 PROFILES SPRING 2020