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- Photo of the newly married couple:
Date: 1947-12-03
Paper: Springfield Union
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Obituary:
Union-News (Springfield, MA) - November 8, 1990
Deceased Name: James E. Davis, 69, area company chief
James E. Davis, 69, of 75 Rugby Road, chairman of American Saw and Manufacturing Co. in East Longmeadow, died Wednesday in Baystate Medical Center.
He served an apprenticeship at Anchorage Homes in Westfield and the former East Springfield plant of Westinghouse Electric Corp. While working at Westinghouse, he gained a background in purchasing and credit.
He joined American Saw in 1947.
He was named clerk of the corporation in 1950 and comptroller and assistant treasurer in 1952. He joined the board in 1953, and was named vice president and treasurer in 1960.
In 1962, he was promoted to executive vice president and treasurer, and in 1971 became president, treasurer and chief executive officer. He was named chairman of the corporation in 1987.
American Saw underwent dramatic growth under Davis's leadership.
The third-generation family business was founded in Springfield in 1915 by two Swedes who defected from another saw manufacturer. James Davis's father, George, began working there as a salesman in 1918, and traveled across the country for the firm.
In the 1950s, he bought out the previous owners and brought his son, James, into the company.
In the 1960s, a new process for making blades that allowed flexible, durable alloys to be fused to the tough biting edge of a saw helped to revolutionize the industry and contribute to American Saw's growth.
During the 1970s, the company added hand tools, jigsaw blades and whole saws to its product lines.
American Saw has been successful in exporting its products, and more than 20 percent of its business is done in 50 countries outside the United States.
Born in Philadelphia, Davis lived in Evanston, Ill., and was graduated from Loyola University in Chicago. He also completed graduate courses in accounting at Western New England College, and received an honorary doctorate of commercial science from American International College.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II, and served in the Pacific Theater.
He was a past officer and director of the Hack and Band Saw Manufacturers Association and a past president of the American Ground Flat Stock Association. He was also active with the American Supply and Machinery Manufacturers Association, the Research Institute of America and the American Management Association.
He had been active with the Small Business Association of New England, and was on the president's council at Loyola University for 10 years.
He was a trustee of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, a past director of Third National Bank of Hampden County, a past director of the East Longmeadow Chamber of Commerce, a charter member of the East Longmeadow Rotary Club and a member of Longmeadow Country Club, Twin Hills Country Club and the Colony Club of Springfield.
He leaves his wife, the former Mary E. Hoar; three sons, John H. and Stephen A., both of Longmeadow, and Robert S. of Springfield; a daughter, Jane Kusek of Plymouth; a brother, William in California; a sister, Marilyn Person of Northfield, Ill.; and eight grandchildren.
The funeral will be Saturday morning at Hafey East Longmeadow Chapels and St. Paul the Apostle Church in Springfield with burial in Longmeadow Cemetery. Calling hours will be on Friday afternoon and evening.
Memorial contributions may be made to the ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) Association, 21021 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, Calif., 91364.
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The H600 Project Genealogy DB
Abt 1921 - 1990 (69 years)