Williams White and Company

What Williams White and Company does

Williams, White & Company, founded in 1854 and headquartered in Moline, Illinois, is a North American manufacturer of custom-engineered industrial hydraulic presses and rotary dryers/coolers, operating as a division of Doerfer Companies since its 1998 acquisition. The company builds presses in five structural configurations (column, gap frame, housing frame, one-piece frame, side plate) for applications including die spotting, hydroforming, metalworking, compression molding, thermoplastic/thermal-set forming, and hot plate pressing, alongside a Davenport Dryer-branded line of rotary direct-fired dryers, rotary steam tube dryers, rotary air coolers, and water tube coolers. Manufacturing is performed at a 150,000 sq. ft. facility equipped with two 250-ton overhead cranes, press assembly pits, CNC boring mills, stress-relief furnace, and shot blast booth; designs are validated through FEA and CAD (AutoCAD, Pro Engineer, Pro Mechanica, Solid Works) prior to fabrication.

Revenue is generated through a quote-based direct sales model targeting enterprise industrial customers across aerospace & defense, automotive, industrial manufacturing, mining & minerals, and energy/biomass verticals. The business operates six distinct revenue streams: custom hydraulic press sales, industrial dryer/cooler sales, press rebuilds & retrofits, Doerfer Field Services (installation, rigging, millwright, maintenance), contract manufacturing, and turnkey automation solutions. Equipment lifecycles of 40-50+ years and a 5,000+ press installed base across North America anchor a long-tail aftermarket and rebuild revenue stream.

The company's competitive position rests on 170+ years of accumulated engineering expertise, capital-intensive manufacturing infrastructure not easily replicated, proprietary press features (suppression, cushion, and level cylinders; rolling bolsters), compliance with industry standards (ANSI, JIC, NFPA, OSHA, UL, CSA), 24/7 emergency service support, and the parent Doerfer Companies' broader engineering and automation capabilities.

Name

Williams White and Company

Legal name

Williams, White & Company

Website

https://williamswhite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1854

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Williams, White & Company is a Moline, Illinois-based custom manufacturer of hydraulic presses and industrial rotary dryers, serving aerospace, automotive, defense, mining, and biomass customers across North America. It operates as a division of Doerfer Companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Hydraulic Press and Rotary Dryer Manufacturing

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Pneumatic Components (FRLs, Cylinders, Valves) (IMAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hydraulic, Pneumatic & Fluid Power Systems MRO (Cylinders, Pumps, Valves, Hoses) (TLAKAHAI)

Keywords

• Custom hydraulic presses
• Industrial rotary dryers
• Press rebuilds service
• Heavy industrial manufacturing
• Factory automation solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Moline

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hydraulic Press Sales: Custom-built hydraulic presses sold to industrial manufacturers. Presses are engineered to customer specifications with any tonnage and configuration. Revenue from initial equipment sale with lifetime support services.
2. Industrial Dryer & Cooler Sales: Rotary dryers and coolers manufactured under the Davenport Dryers brand, including direct-fired dryers, steam tube dryers, water tube coolers, and rotary air coolers.
3. Press Rebuilds & Retrofits: Hydraulic press rebuilding services and upgrade programs including PC-based controls, touch screen interfaces, electronic position devices, high-performance hydraulic pumps, rams, cylinders, and power units.
4. Doerfer Field Services: On-site industrial services including equipment installation, facility maintenance, heavy lifting/rigging, millwright services, and equipment relocation.
5. Contract Manufacturing Services: Custom and build-to-print manufacturing capabilities for complex large-scale projects including heavy machining, fabrication, welding, and assembly services.
6. Automation Solutions: Turnkey factory automation systems integrating advanced controls, robotics, material handling, and system integration for production line automation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Williams, White & Company designs, engineers, and manufactures custom hydraulic presses (column, gap frame, housing frame, one-piece frame, side plate) and industrial rotary dryers/coolers (direct-fired, steam tube, air, water tube) for aerospace, defense, automotive, mining, minerals, biomass, and industrial manufacturing customers. The company also provides press rebuilds, retrofits, 24/7 emergency service, field installation, automation solutions, and contract manufacturing services from its 150,000 sq. ft. Moline, IL facility.

Product overview

Williams, White & Company is North America's premier manufacturer of custom hydraulic presses and industrial rotary dryers, offering a comprehensive portfolio of heavy industrial equipment. The company operates as a division of Doerfer Companies and provides custom-built hydraulic presses in multiple frame styles (column, gap frame, housing frame, one-piece frame, and side plate) for aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications. Their Davenport Dryer brand offers rotary drying and cooling equipment including direct-fired dryers, steam tube dryers, air coolers, and water tube coolers. The company also provides extensive lifecycle support through Doerfer Field Services (installation, maintenance, rigging, millwright services), turnkey automation solutions, and contract manufacturing services. Together, these products and services form an integrated ecosystem addressing equipment design, manufacturing, automation, installation, and long-term support for heavy industrial operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Davenport Dryers: Rotary dryer equipment brand offering state-of-the-art engineering and precision manufacturing for industrial drying applications including water tube coolers, steam tube dryers, direct-fired dryers and air coolers

Products and services

• Custom Hydraulic Presses Custom-engineered hydraulic presses available in column, gap frame, housing frame, one-piece frame, and side plate configurations, built to any tonnage and application requirements including die spotting, hydroforming, metalworking, hot plate pressing, thermal set and thermoplastic forming, and specialized molding. Sold to aerospace, automotive, and industrial manufacturing customers in North America.
• Industrial Rotary Dryers and Coolers (Davenport Dryers) Custom rotary drying and cooling equipment including direct-fired dryers, rotary steam tube dryers, rotary air coolers, and water tube coolers for processing grains, minerals, ores, frac sand/proppants, biomass wood pellets, chemicals, sludge, aggregates, and other industrial materials. Manufactured under the Davenport Dryers brand with 40-50 year service life design.
• Hydraulic Press Rebuilds and Retrofits

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment lifespan of 40-50+ years with proper maintenance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Doerfer CompaniescoreOthersParent company of Williams White & Company. Doerfer Companies is a leading provider of global engineering and manufacturing solutions for customers focusing on automation, forming and material handling. Website: www.doerfer.com
• Davenport DryercoreOthersAcquired in 2010 & 2014 along with Quad City Dryer, positioning Williams White as one of the leading suppliers of industrial rotary dryers and coolers. Davenport Dryer is North America's premier supplier of rotary dryer equipment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Andritz AG: Global supplier of industrial drying and separation equipment serving biomass, minerals, and chemicals. Direct comparable in rotary dryer equipment and complementary pulp/biomass processing machinery.
• GEA Group: Global industrial processing equipment leader with substantial rotary drying and thermal processing operations. Comparable to Williams White's Davenport Dryer division in industrial drying technology for food, minerals, and chemicals.
• Schuler Group: Global market leader in press manufacturing and automation for automotive, aerospace, and industrial forming. Direct competitor to Williams White in custom hydraulic and mechanical presses, with broader global scale and a wider product portfolio.
• SMS Group: German metallurgical and industrial equipment manufacturer with substantial forming and processing machinery operations. Comparable to Williams White in heavy industrial equipment engineering, with broader exposure to metals production.

Direct peers

• Greenerd Press & Machine Company: Long-established US hydraulic press manufacturer offering custom and standard presses for industrial forming. Comparable in legacy/century-old heritage and custom-engineering orientation serving similar industrial customers.
• Beckwood Press: US manufacturer of custom hydraulic presses for forming, molding, and stamping. Direct peer with overlapping aerospace, automotive, and industrial customer base and similar custom-engineered delivery model.
• Pacific Press Technologies: Manufacturer of hydraulic presses with strong presence in automotive and heavy industrial forming. Comparable product breadth across press styles and tonnage ranges, serving overlapping end-markets.
• Macrodyne Technologies: North American custom hydraulic press manufacturer serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial forming markets. Closely comparable in custom engineered hydraulic press design and build-to-spec business model.

Emerging players

• Komline-Sanderson: US manufacturer specializing in drying, dewatering, and process equipment for industrial and environmental applications. Comparable in niche industrial drying focus and North American customer base, though smaller in scale.

Regional players

• FLSmidth: Denmark-based global supplier of equipment and services for mining and minerals processing, including industrial drying and cooling. Comparable to Williams White's mining/minerals drying applications via Davenport Dryer brand, but with global not US-centric reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Williams White and Company