06/01/2026
We recently picked up some incredibly heavy vintage scales from the old Farr Scale Company out of Hummelstown, PA. The coolest part is knowing these aren’t just old pieces of equipment, they’re pieces of local history that helped support businesses and industries for generations. Always amazing to see a small part of Pennsylvania’s past still standing strong.
The Farr Scale Company, based in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, was a regional independent distributor, service, and calibration provider for industrial weighing equipment. Operating out of their location on Main Street, the company has historically specialized in supplying and maintaining precise weight-measurement solutions for local and commercial businesses. While Farr Scale acted as a dedicated independent dealer, much of the foundational history surrounding mechanical and electronic weighing in the region is tied to the Pennsylvania Scale Company.
The timeline of commercial weighing in the area features the following milestones:
Early 1900s: The regional scale industry took off when John Burkholder patented a mechanical "no springs" scale.
1908: This led to the establishment of the National Store Specialty Company in Lancaster, PA, known for early ribbon-and-cam scales and gas pumps.
1940s: Allen Johnson invested in the company, bringing mechanical ratio counting scales, which spurred explosive growth.
1970s: The company introduced its first electronic counting scales, laying the groundwork for the highly accurate, modern digital systems used today.
2000 & 2014: Pennsylvania Scale Company was purchased by the A.H. Emery Company in 2000 and eventually moved its corporate-owned facility back to Lancaster, PA in 2014.
