About us

My brother and I founded Machineco in Montréal in March 1971. What began as a $600 junk shop now supplies pre-owned machine tools and fabricating equipment to buyers on every continent.

1971 — A $600 start

With five partners, I bought the contents of a tiny, run-down shop beside a lumber yard at 4112a Saint-Laurent. Rent was $80 a month; one month, sales totalled $60. The partners soon lost interest, and within a year I had bought them all out.

The hard years

Renamed Universal Tools & Equipment, we sold drill presses, vises, compressors — whatever the old business had left behind. On opening day, the stock was seized over the previous owner’s debts. The days were long; once, no one came in for three days. With my brother as partner, we kept at it and grew into a real store on Craig Street.

1974 — Our first crane bay

With an old boom truck, we moved into part of the century-old Hymac plant under the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Many moves later, Machineco runs warehouses in Montréal and New York State, with indoor and outdoor storage larger than a football field.

Beyond machinery

Customers who were expanding or downsizing often needed space, which led us into industrial real estate, including lofts and commercial space for rent in Montréal. Our buildings have also been sets for TV commercials and films, and our story was the subject of a short documentary series.

Today

Machineco machines have been sold in more than 20 countries, and we were a Tier 1 supplier to the world’s leading aero-engine builder. Selected machines we sell carry a 30-day warranty against major latent defects.

Talk to the founders

Call us directly, toll-free at 1-888-459-4025, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We’re always glad to talk about a machine problem, a purchase or a lease.

We’re from the old school, where a handshake seals the deal and a man’s word is his bond. Fifty years on, that hasn’t changed.

— John & Robin Doak