Our History
1938
1938
1938
1939
1945
H.W. AKHURST JOINS AKHURST MACHINERY LTD.
H.W. (Spud) Akhurst, son of W.A. Akhurst joins Akhurst Machinery Limited after serving in the Canadian Navy on board the HMCS Alberni which was sunk by a torpedo in the English channel in 1944. Spud was one of the 31 crewmen that survived the sinking which claimed the lives of 59 men.1945
1945
1946
SUN BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN VANCOUVERIn May 1938, W.A. Akhurst incorporated W.A. Akhurst Machinery Company Limited. Mr. Akhurst moved his office from his home to the 17th floor of the Sun Building at 500 Beatty Street in Vancouver, BC. In 1946, the company moved to the 19th floor where they eventually took over the majority of the floor. This historic building has survived the massive redevelopment of Vancouver.
1946
1950
1955
LARGER VANCOUVER FACILITYIn April of 1955, W.A. Akhurst Machinery Company Limited relocated to a larger facility with a showroom and warehouse at 215 West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver, occupying 1/3 of the building at that time. The company would eventually take over the remaining 2/3 of the building in October of 1969.
1955
1957
1960
1960
1961
NATIONAL COVERAGEIn 1961, H.W. Akhurst got together with Ralph Johnson (formally President of Mill Equipment and Distributors Limited) and agreed to form Akhurst Machinery Limited to sell woodworking and mill machinery east of the Manitoba-Ontario border. With this agreement, the Akhurst organizations could give national coverage.
1961
1961
1965
AKHURST-UBJ MACHINERY LIMITED
In December of 1964, Mr. Upton, President of Upton Bradeen & James Limited (U.B.J.) was retiring and the company was having financial difficulties. They asked H.W. Akhurst to go east for a year and act as Vice-President and General Manager. Mr. Akhurst spent 3 weeks in the East and 10 days in Vancouver. In appreciation for Mr. Akhurst’s efforts, it was agreed that as of January 1, 1965, U.B.J. would confine their business to the east of the Manitoba/Ontario border. Akhurst would take over all their machine tool machinery and supply lines in the west. The name of W.A. Akhurst Machinery Company Limited was changed to Akhurst UBJ Machinery Limited. The eastern branches assumed the name of Akhurst Machinery Limited.
1965
1965
1969
1970
1970
1974
1975
APPOINTED AS REFORM AGENT IN NORTH AMERICAAkhurst forms a strategic distribution partnership with A. Rabenseifner & Co of Fulda, Germany to distribute their Reform brand of knife and surface grinders. This strategic partnership still exists today and they have successfully installed more than 1,200 grinders.
1975
1975
1977
PORTLAND FACILITYAkhurst Machinery Limited opened a branch in Portland, OR in 1977 to service the sawmill industry in the Pacific Northwest.
1977
1981
1984
1984
1984
1984
WASHINGTON FACILITYAkhurst Machinery Inc. opens a branch office in Seattle, WA to better serve the woodworking industry in that state.
1984
1989
1994
1994
1997
1998
CANTEK AMERICA INC.
Cantek America Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akhurst Machinery) is incorporated in the U.S. In 1985, we made our first trip to Taiwan to investigate this up and coming market for machinery manufacturing. In 1988 we started offering this product in the United States. The relationships formed in these early years still exist today and we have been a significant contributor to the development of equipment in Taiwan.
1998
2000
2007
2007
2013
2016
2016
2018
2020
2020 NATIONAL FAMILY ENTERPRISE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Family Enterprise Xchange (FEX) announces that Akhurst Machinery Limited is the recipient of the 2020 National Family Enterprise of the Year Award (FEYA).
2020
2021
2023
2023