Acme Machine Works

What Acme Machine Works does

Acme Machine Works, Inc. is a privately held industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1954 and headquartered in Spokane, Washington. The company designs, engineers, fabricates, welds, assembles, and tests complete custom machine systems primarily for the Primary Aluminum Industry, serving primary producers, secondary processors, and casting and forging facilities. Its core product portfolio includes sow casting and stacking systems, billet stacking and handling equipment, crucible cleaning and handling tilters, specialty equipment (anode bar straighteners, anode removal presses, potroom anode cavity cleaners), press loaders and bundle breakdown systems, and sample preparation equipment (Model K Sample Lathe, sprue shears, sample molds), supplemented by a 'Special Projects' custom work line. Underlying technology combines large-capacity CNC machining (14 CNC vertical mills, 3 CNC horizontal mills, 3 CNC lathes, planer mills up to 552 x 120 x 102 inches, and an HMG VW-8430 machining center with 315 x 137 x 80 inch capacity), CAD/CAM programming via Gibscam Software, and full in-house mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and automation controls integration across 52,000 square feet of combined facility space with bridge cranes up to 10 tons.

The business operates on a custom project-based revenue model. Pricing is quote-driven, undisclosed publicly, and typically structured as multi-year contracts for individual machine systems or machining/fabrication/assembly service engagements. Go-to-market is exclusively direct B2B enterprise sales: prospects engage through a website project quote form, with deals routed through co-owners James McManus (CEO) and Calvin McManus alongside General Manager Stacie Cotter. The customer segment is single-vertical (Primary Aluminum Industry), with no third-party distribution, no public marketing campaigns, and limited digital presence. The company is family-owned (the McManus family), with no disclosed external institutional investors, no subsidiaries, no patents or awards, and no public revenue or headcount figures, making it a privately held, vertically specialized industrial OEM with a long operating history but a narrow publicly observable footprint.

Name

Acme Machine Works

Legal name

ACME Machine Works, Inc.

Website

https://acmemachineworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Acme Machine Works is a privately held Spokane, Washington industrial machinery manufacturer founded in 1954 that designs, engineers, fabricates, and assembles custom complete machine systems primarily for the Primary Aluminum Industry, including sow casting, billet stacking, crucible handling, and specialty equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Machine System Manufacturing: Complete machine system manufacturing from conceptual design through engineering, manufacturing, assembly and testing. Includes electrical, electronic integration and automation programming done in-house.
2. CNC Machining Services: Job shop and production machining services including CNC vertical mills (14 machines), CNC horizontal mills (3 machines), planer mills, and CNC lathes.
3. Fabrication and Assembly Services: Contract fabrication and machining capabilities including welding (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, plastics), plasma cutting, and mechanical/electrical/hydraulic/pneumatic assembly.
4. Specialty Equipment Products: Manufactured equipment including sow casting/stacking systems, billet stacking/handling systems, crucible cleaning/handling, press loaders, sample preparation equipment, and specialty aluminum industry equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ACME Machine Works designs, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and tests complete industrial machine systems for the Primary Aluminum Industry, including sow casting and stacking systems, billet stacking and handling systems, crucible cleaning and handling equipment, press loaders, sample preparation equipment, and specialty equipment. All disciplines — mechanical and electrical engineering, fabrication, welding, machining, controls integration, and automation programming — are performed in-house at the company's Spokane, Washington facilities.

Product overview

ACME Machine Works offers a unified portfolio of industrial machine systems for the Primary Aluminum Industry and related manufacturing sectors. The core product line consists of Sow Casting & Stacking, Billet Stacking & Handling Systems, Crucible Cleaning & Handling, Specialty Equipment (including Anode Bar Straightener, Anode Removal Press, and Potroom Anode Cavity Cleaner), Press Loaders/Bundle Breakdown, Sample Preparation Equipment (Model K Sample Lathe, Sprue Shears, Sample Molds), and Special Projects. These are supported by comprehensive manufacturing capabilities including Design & Engineering, Fabrication/Welding/Assembly, and Machining/Job Shop/Production services, all performed in-house at their Spokane, Washington facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sow Casting & Stacking Systems Automated sow casting and stacking systems for the aluminum industry, featuring water-cooled and air-cooled variants with capacities ranging from 20 tons per hour to 60,000 lb per hour, with auto pour, skim, pull, weigh, mark, and stack capabilities. Sold to aluminum producers and processors.
• Billet Stacking & Handling Systems Automated billet stacking and handling equipment including Model 1710, processing up to 300 billets per hour for 6"–10" diameter and 20"–30" long billets with automatic stamping, stacking, and manual strapping. Sold to aluminum industry producers.
• Crucible Cleaning & Handling Equipment Equipment for cleaning and handling crucibles ranging from 5 to 15 tons, including integrated crucible tilters and various tilter models (5 Ton, 8 Ton, 30 Ton) for pouring, load out, and hot top operations. Sold to aluminum production facilities.
• Specialty Equipment Industrial specialty equipment including the Anode Bar Straightener, Anode Removal Press, and Potroom Radio Controlled Anode Cavity Cleaner for aluminum production facilities.
• Press Loaders / Bundle Breakdown Model 1526 press loader for handling 8"–9" diameter bundles up to 40" long with four turntables, processing up to 60 billets per hour. Sold to aluminum processors.
• Sample Preparation Equipment Sample preparation equipment including the Model K Sample Lathe with single-pass machining and pushbutton operation, Sprue Shears for removing sprues from non-ferrous disk samples, and 3-Piece Center-Pour Sample Molds casting 2.5" diameter x 1/2" thick samples.
• Special Projects Custom special project manufacturing services including custom pedestals, sculptures, and specialized industrial equipment such as Hallden Shear Frames tailored to specific client requirements.
• Design & Engineering Services Complete engineering and design services providing mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, controls engineering, systems integration, and automation programming for machine systems with emphasis on the Primary Aluminum Industry.
• Fabrication, Welding & Assembly Services Complete fabrication and assembly services in a 40,000 sq ft facility including welding of steel, stainless steel, aluminum and plastics (stick, wire, TIG, plastic), plasma cutting, automated HEM saw, and mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic assembly with pickup and delivery available.
• Machining, Job Shop & Production Services Full-service machining capabilities in a 12,000 sq ft facility featuring 14 CNC vertical mills, 3 CNC horizontal mills, a CNC vertical turning center, 3 CNC lathes, planer mills up to 552" x 120" x 102", and a new HMG VW-8430 machining center for parts up to 315" x 137" x 80".

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wagstaff Inc. Specializes in aluminum casting equipment and billet handling systems for primary aluminum producers. Directly comparable to ACME's sow casting, billet stacking, and direct-chill casting-adjacent product lines.
• STAS: Designs and builds specialized equipment for the primary aluminum industry, including crucible handling, sow casting, and potroom equipment—almost a line-for-line overlap with ACME's product portfolio.
• Pyrotek: Global supplier of engineered materials and equipment for the aluminum industry, including molten metal handling and casting. Comparable customer base and application overlap with ACME.
• Fata Hunter (Danieli Group): Designs and supplies rolling mills and processing equipment for aluminum flat-rolled products. Direct overlap with ACME's downstream aluminum processing customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Danieli: Large global metallurgical plant builder serving the aluminum and steel industries with complete process lines. Overlaps with ACME at the system-integration level but operates at a vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• SMS group: Global plant and machinery manufacturer for metals processing, including aluminum rolling and casting. Competes with ACME for larger primary aluminum capex programs as a full-line integrator.
• ANDRITZ Group: International technology group supplying plants, systems, and services to metals processing and other heavy industries. Adjacent competitor for industrial-scale aluminum processing equipment projects.

Regional players

• Spokane Industries: Heavy industrial fabrication and machining company based in the Spokane/Inland Northwest region. Comparable custom machining, fabrication, and large-format metalworking capabilities serving regional industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acme-machine-works

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Acme Machine Works