Torchmate Revenue and Competitors

Bill Kunz with an early TorchmateThe Kunz family began selling its first shape cutting machines, called the Torchmate, back in 1979. William Kunz Sr. had spent his childhood learning about working with metal and working on hot rods. It was his love of automobiles and tinkering that led to the first Torchmate. After having read about Pantograph Flame Cutting machines in an automotive magazine, Bill set out to bring that technology to the common shop. In his mind there was no reason why this technology had to cost $1,400+ (which was a lot of money 30 years ago) considering it was mostly hobbyists buying them. One year after having read about other companys' machines, the very same magazine wrote an article about Bill’s Torchmate Pantograph Machine Kits and how they were changing the industry as they were being offered at a then astonishing $400. The Torchmate product line and the companies that support it have been built on this same premise that technology should not only be available to the metalworking elite.