Walter Kern, an Austrian who was born in Hall, arrived to the country in 1968 to supervise the installation of post-press equipment for a Swiss manufacturing firm. Due to this installation's success, a second one was added to the Providence Gravure in Rhode Island. 

Walter met his wife Marjorie during the second installation, and soon after, he left his job with the Swiss company to work as a maintenance machinist at Providence Gravure. Walter spent his free time working to obtain his American citizenship in addition to mounting and tuning skis for a nearby ski store.

Walter established Austrian Ski and Machine in 1971.  The company's bespoke design and production for the gravure sector grew over time, and the ski repair division was