In the 1920s through 1960s, South Bend lathes were found in countless machine shops and factories, and they were also one of the most commonly used brands in vocational schools.
Later South Bend Lathe became a division of LeBlond Limited, which is part of the Makino corporation, a multinational machine tool–building firm.
In 2009, the brand was sold to Shiraz Balolia, founder of the machinery firms Grizzly Industrial Inc. and Woodstock International Inc.[3] Under LeBlond, South Bend Lathe produced precision machine tools, although it was not the giant of market share that it was during the 1920s through 1950s.
The new owner, Balolia, planned to redevelop and manage the brand as one that appeals to the demand for high-end quality that many South Bend lathe enthusiasts share.
In South Bend Lathe's case, the affordability of machine tools from Taiwan or China mixes with the desirability of certain German and Japanese components (such as spindle bearings) and higher standards (compared to many Taiwanese or Chinese brands) in terms of tolerances, inspection, features, and rigidity.