A Tradition of Excellence
Oliver Machinery can trace its roots all the way back to 1890 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company, founded by Joseph W. Oliver, originally designed and manufactured wood trimmers that reduced labor time from 15 minutes to only a few seconds, winning Oliver a gold medal for merit at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. In 1908 Oliver introduced the round cutterhead, a much safer alternative to the standard square cutterhead. The new safety feature was so apparent that many states soon began requiring their installation. Our founder also filed one of the first patents for a dado blade, this style is still being used today.
In 1923 Oliver introduced the Straitoplane, a combination planer and jointer that could plane a warped board perfectly flat and straight on both surfaces in one pass. In 1929 Oliver sold over 9,000 of these machines. Other woodworking machine companies have since copied the design, testifying to its quality and distinctiveness.
Over the span of the twentieth century, Oliver adapted to the ever-changing American economy, manufacturing bread-slicers during the Depression, saws for cutting aluminum, brass, copper, steel and titanium during World War II, and packaging and printing machinery during the 1950's and 60's.
By 1994, Oliver had produced over 150,000 machines, 75,000 of which were still in operation on a daily basis worldwide. Even today, replacement parts are generally available on many of the popular woodworking models through an agreement with RT Machine in Hughesville, PA.
With new ownership in 1999, operations were moved to Seattle, WA in 2000. The dedication to supplying the absolute finest in heavy-duty woodworking machines continues to this day. In 2002 Oliver began participating at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, GA and continues to participate and support the industry and our customers.
Oliver’s distributor network continues to grow throughout North America and select international locations. In 2016 Oliver began development and began to introduce a line of affordable small shop, high-end hobbyist models that continues to grow. Oliver continues to identify and fill needs in the market by introducing new products on a regular basis. We look forward to continuing to grow our dealer network and fulfill the goal of our founder by making quality machines at affordable prices for craftsman everywhere.
Our Innovation
Oliver Machinery has a long tradition of innovation. Ever since the turn of the century when Oliver introduced the round cutterhead, they have been consistently improving and modernizing their machines to give the user the best product.
In the spirit of American ingenuity, Oliver machines improve on existing technology by utilizing features such as carbide helical cutterheads, computerized controls and sensors, segmented infeed rollers, and advanced safety features.
In addition to their technological determination, Oliver remains true to the traditions of woodworking machinery. This means their machines are consistently more rugged, heavier-duty, and better designed than the competition, which means that your wood comes out straighter, more precise, and better crafted than with any other machine.
Oliver's machines consistently utilize cutting-edge materials, precision engineering, and innovative features to put them above and beyond the competition.
to see what we mean.
