Dake's 120th Anniversary

Something Old, Something New

The family friend turning the most heads at Dake’s anniversary party was a spry 95 years old. The Dake Number 3 steam engine shipped in 1912 to the Eagle Lumber Company sawmill at Eagle Mills, Arkansas, drew a steady crowd of visitors during the company’s recent 120th anniversary celebration.

And something new? The announcement of the Dake Community Manufacturing Scholarship. Vikki Jacobson Irwin, daughter of former Dakeco-chief executive Charles Jacobson, presentedthe first check to Ann Irish Tabor of the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation to endow the scholarship. An idea sparked by employees to create a lasting tribute to the Dake legacy, the scholarship is designed to encourage and support students who want to further their manufacturing education.

“It’s easy to see that JSJ and Dake both have a deep-seated commitment to the Grand Haven area and the importance of manufacturing jobs to the quality of life in the community,” says Dake Marketing Director Frank Kennedy. “We see this scholarship as an investment in all of our futures.”

Dake General Manager Lisa Van Schelven thanked all JSJ and Dake employees, families and friends attending the celebration for their past contributions and current support for Dake’s continued success. “The real gist of it for me is celebrating a manufacturing company that’s been in business for 120 years,” says Lisa. “That’s an amazing accomplishment. So many small, family-owned manufacturing companies have gone out of business. The global economy is challenging. But Dake continues to thrive – because of the pride of the Dake employees and the support of JSJ, which have both allowed us to grow in new and different directions.”

Through decades of popular use in businesses and workshops worldwide, Dake’s arbor press remains a classic work tool. However, to create a point of difference that allows it to continue growing, Dake has reached out to a new market of metal fabricating enthusiasts. It’s certain that the first Dake stockholders and employees couldn’t have imagined that Dake products — primarily presses and saws — would be used and seen regularly on cable television shows like "American Chopper," "Stacey David's Gearz," "Muscle Car" and "The Great Biker Build Off."

Stacey David, the host for eight years of "Trucks!" and now host of ESPN2's "Gearz," even made a VIP appearance at the Dake anniversary celebration. An accomplished musician, he graciously joined Dake sales representative Scott Rice and his band to play a few songs during the festivities.

Dake’s 120th anniversary was also recognized by the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the governor of Michigan, state Senate and House of Representatives, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Ottawa County, City of Grand Haven, Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce and Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival Committee.

About Dake Corp.

Dake is a recognized brand leader for industrial-grade machine tools, offering a complete line of arbor, hydraulic and bench presses as well as cold and band saws. Dake also includes a wholly-owned foreign enterprise foundry and manufacturing facility in Tianjin, China, which supplies Dake components, sources cast products and produces machined brass waterworks castings for Grand Have Meter Coupling. Founded as the Dake Engine Manufacturing Co., in 1887, the company was purchased in 1940 by JSJ founders Alvin E. Jacobson, Sr., Paul A. Johnson, Sr., and B.P. Sherwood, Sr. www.dakecorp.com

Touring Dake during its 120th anniversary are (left to right): Stacey David, host of ESPN2’s Gearz; Ashley Webb, Webb Automotive Art; Bari Johnson, JSJ Corporation, public affairs; and Dan Webb, Webb Automotive Art.

Vikki Jacobson Irwin (left), daughter of former Dakeco-chief executive Charles Jacobson, and Bari Johnson, daughter of former Dake co-chief executive Paul Johnson, Jr., with the 1912 Dake Number 3 steam engine.