BUILT BY LISTENING. PROVEN BY INNOVATION.

In 1919, Clarence Palmgren founded Chicago Tool and Engineering Company on the South Side of Chicago, at the heart of America's steel industry. From the beginning, Clarence was not simply manufacturing tools. He was solving problems for machinists.

Inspired by what he observed on the Ford Motor Company assembly line, Clarence recognized something others had overlooked: precision tools did not have to be rare or expensive to be reliable. In the 1920s, he began mass producing machine vises with standardized, replaceable parts at scale, a development that changed the economics of the trade. He is credited with designing and manufacturing the first machine vises, cross slide tables, and positioning rotary tables that significantly increased efficiency and productivity for metalworking manufacturers worldwide. Shops became more productive, tolerances became more consistent, and the industry moved forward. Palmgren did not follow the market. He helped build it.

A LEGACY BUILT ON THE WORK

For decades that followed, Palmgren became a trusted name in machine shops, tool rooms, and production floors across the country. The product line expanded to include positioning tables, indexing solutions, and precision accessories, each developed through the same disciplined approach: listen to the people doing the work, research the real problem, build the right solution, and lead the market forward.

That reputation for precision earned Palmgren something no marketing campaign can manufacture: the trust of working professionals who cannot afford for their tools to fail.

WHEN THE WORK CALLED, PALMGREN ANSWERED

During World War II, the U.S. Navy faced a serious challenge: repairing ships underwater with methods that were neither reliable nor adequate for the stakes involved. Palmgren was called on to help. The result was a line of engineered welding tools that made underwater repairs possible where they had not been before. It was not innovation for its own sake. It was proof of what happens when serious engineering meets real-world need. That problem-solving mindset carries forward in Palmgren's welding gauges still built on principles from that era.

REBUILT AROUND THE PROFESSIONAL

In October 2013, C.H. Hanson® acquired Palmgren, not to reinvent the brand, but to return it to what made it great. Rather than guessing what modern machinists needed, the team went directly to the source. They went into the field, studied the work firsthand, and uncovered the frustrations people faced every day. What they discovered was simple: many tools were not built around real-world use.

So Palmgren rebuilt from the shop floor up. Ergonomics that support extended use. Dust collection that performs in real production environments. Precision engineered for real tolerances. The outcome was a Palmgren that became a leader in abrasive finishing, not because of legacy, but because its products were built from real-world input.

Machinists also pushed back on unnecessary complexity. When shops asked why a single saw could not handle both metal and wood, Palmgren built a vertical band saw, giving shops one capable machine instead of two. When professionals expressed frustration with managing multiple vendors and inconsistent standards across their workflow, Palmgren responded by building a complete product ecosystem, from workholding to finishing, designed to work together the way a real shop does.

WHY PURCHASE FROM PALMGREN?

Our tools are manufactured to the highest standards for the toughest jobs. At Palmgren we really do "Embrace the Work" which is why professionals choose Palmgren. Our product lines cover everything from workholding vises and clamps, finishing machines, drill presses, bandsaws and much more. You can rest assured our products are built for real life situations because we engineer them based on real customer feedback. Palmgren techs know our products inside and out, so if there's ever a question or specific need you'll get an answer from someone who knows what they are talking about.

WHAT PALMGREN STANDS FOR TODAY

Today Palmgren is guided by a single principle: if it does not make the work better, we do not build it. From the vise on your bench to the equipment that finishes the job, every Palmgren product is grounded in how machinists actually operate. Precision that holds under pressure. Equipment that earns its place on the floor. A brand designed around the way real work gets done. And a commitment to listening that never stops, because every innovation starts with the professional in the shop.

Palmgren. Embrace the Work.