DSW, or Dixie Saw Works, got its start in 1943 as a company that converted knives. After operating steadily for more than 60 years, the company was acquired in 2004 by its present owner, Chris McIlvaine. Chris made the decision to internalise as many processes as he could over the course of a few years in order to cut costs. He chose a water jet after looking into several different cutting devices. We were able to reduce lead times for the blanks we utilise with the company's converting knife division while simultaneously cutting the cost by investing in the water jet. He also realised right away that having a water jet also allowed us to start outsourcing cutting, which quickly exceeded the knife store.