Pan-Oston

What Pan-Oston does

Pan-Oston Ltd. is a Canadian specialty manufacturer of retail store fixtures, checkouts, and kiosks, founded in 1977 and headquartered in a single integrated facility at 660 Neal Drive, Peterborough, Ontario. The company is privately held by Greg Butler (President) and Glen Bonner (Vice President of Sales & Marketing), who acquired the business in 2006 and both held operating roles there since the early 1980s. With a headcount of 51–100 employees, Pan-Oston operates a vertically integrated sheet metal manufacturing plant — covering shearing, turret punching, brake bending, MIG and TIG welding, powder-coat finishing, CSA and CUL-listed electrical assembly, packaging, and distribution — which the firm leverages both for proprietary retail product lines and for white-label/contract manufacturing for third parties.

The product portfolio centers on seven checkout configurations (Quick Ship, Scan & Bag, Scan & Pass, Inline, Mobile, Tribelt, and the patent-pending Convertible Self-Checkout that rotates between staffed POS and self-checkout modes), alongside kiosks, retail fixtures, modular metal counters, a regulated Cannabis Storage Cabinet, accessories (lean pads, bag racks, lane closed signs), and the Southern Case Arts refrigerated-display sub-brand. Pan-Oston generates revenue through one-time hardware sales to Canadian retailers, recurring professional services via a network of more than 100 factory-authorized service representatives across Canada (which automatically extends the warranty to two years when used for installation), contract manufacturing for third parties, and a direct e-commerce parts/accessories channel. Customers include tier-one Canadian grocery chains (Highland Farms, Pusateri's Fine Foods), telecom (Koodo kiosks in Canadian malls), and specialty retail (Second Specs multi-location eyewear kiosks). Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales in Canada, with a nascent US channel relationship via Minneapolis-based Direct Source at NRF 2026, and a co-founded Toronto showroom (CRS Innovation Center) that operates as a multi-manufacturer sales collaboration. Certifications include CSA, CUL, and AODA compliance, and the firm markets through trade shows (NRF, Grocery Innovation Show), social media, and an educational "Checkouts 101" content hub.

Name

Pan-Oston

Legal name

Pan-Oston Ltd.

Website

https://panoston.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pan-Oston Ltd. is a 49-year-old Canadian specialty manufacturer of retail checkouts, kiosks, fixtures, and modular metal counters, serving tier-one Canadian grocery, telecom, hardware, and cannabis retailers from a vertically integrated Peterborough, Ontario plant with a national installation and service network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Checkout and Fixture Manufacturing & Sales: Pan-Oston designs, manufactures, and sells checkout counters, customer service counters, self-checkout systems, retail fixtures, modular metal counters, and kiosks to Canadian retailers. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales, with components such as scanners and POS hardware typically sourced separately by retailers. The company also offers white-label/contract manufacturing for third-party products.
2. Nationwide Installation, Service & Maintenance: Pan-Oston provides professional installation, preventative maintenance, and repair services across Canada through its network of over 100 factory-authorized service representatives. Warranty is automatically extended to two years when installed by a Pan-Oston-authorized technician.
3. Contract Manufacturing / White-Label Production: Pan-Oston designs and produces white-label products for both retail and consumer goods through second and third-party partnerships, leveraging its controlled manufacturing facility to reduce time and cost for clients bringing new products to market.
4. Parts & Accessories (E-commerce): Pan-Oston operates an online shop selling replacement parts (lean pads in 266mm, 305mm, 400mm sizes), accessories (convex mirrors, lane closed signs, check writing shelves, mirror panels), and bag racks directly to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pan-Oston designs, manufactures, and assembles checkout counters (staffed, self-checkout, convertible, mobile, quick ship), retail kiosks, custom retail fixtures, modular metal counters, and a cannabis storage cabinet, primarily serving Canadian retailers. Production is fully in-house at the Peterborough, Ontario facility using sheet metal, wire, wood, and plastics, with CSA/CUL listed electrical assemblies. The company also provides nationwide installation, preventative maintenance, and repair services through 100+ factory-authorized service representatives, plus contract manufacturing for third-party brands.

Product overview

Pan-Oston is a leading Canadian retail store fixture manufacturer established in 1977, offering a comprehensive portfolio of retail checkout and fixture solutions. The core product line centers on Checkouts (including Quick Ship, Scan & Bag, Scan & Pass, Inline, Tribelts, and Mobile configurations) supplemented by Kiosks, Retail Fixtures, Modular Metal Counters, and Cannabis Storage Cabinets. Add-on products include Accessories (convex mirrors, lane signs, check writing shelves), Bag Racks, and Replacement Parts (lean pads). The company also offers Southern Case Arts as a sub-brand for refrigerated display solutions. Pan-Oston operates as a single-source manufacturing solution covering sheet metal design, fabrication, paint finishing, and assembly, with nationwide service and installation capabilities across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Checkout Counters Checkout and customer service counters for Canadian retailers in staffed, self-checkout, hybrid convertible, mobile, and quick-ship configurations. Configurations include Scan & Bag (front conveyor, scanner/scale support), Tribelts (dual rear conveyors for high-volume scan-and-pass), Inline (54"–74" express or customer service), and Mobile (portable for garden centers and outdoor setups).
• Convertible Self-Checkout System Patent-pending hybrid checkout that flexes between staffed POS and cash-free self-checkout by rotating a turntable 180 degrees, allowing retailers to adapt lanes to peak/off-peak staffing and labor conditions. Designed for grocery and supermarket chains such as Highland Farms and Pusateri's Fine Foods.
• Retail Kiosks Pre-manufactured plug-and-play retail kiosks designed for malls and retail spaces, with customizable modular cabinets and third-party component integration. Supplied to telecom retailers (Koodo) and specialty eyewear (Second Specs) across Canadian malls.
• Retail Fixtures Custom and standard retail fixtures manufactured from sheet metal, wire, wood, and plastics for grocery, hardware, apparel, and general merchandise retailers.
• Modular Metal Counters Modular metal counters with welded steel construction for durability, offered with customization options for pharmacy, retail, and specialty store applications.
• Cannabis Storage Cabinet Steel storage cabinet with 56 openings (4.75"x7") for cannabis flowers, oils, edibles, or pre-rolls, featuring a lockable plexiglass safety cover, designed for compliant behind-the-counter or back-room storage in licensed Canadian cannabis retailers.
• Southern Case Arts (Refrigerated Display Solutions) Refrigerated case arts and display solutions for retail environments, offered as a Pan-Oston sub-brand.
• Nationwide Installation, Service & Repair Professional installation, preventative maintenance, and repair services delivered coast to coast across Canada through a network of over 100 factory-authorized service representatives, with extended two-year warranty coverage when Pan-Oston technicians perform the installation.
• Contract Manufacturing / White-Label Production White-label and contract manufacturing services for retail and consumer goods clients, leveraging Pan-Oston's controlled in-house sheet metal, wire, wood, and plastics manufacturing facility to bring third-party products to market faster and at lower cost.
• Replacement Parts and Accessories (Online Shop) E-commerce storefront selling replacement parts (lean pads in 266mm, 305mm, and 400mm), accessories (convex mirrors, lane closed signs, check writing shelves, mirror panels), and bag racks to retailers and consumers for checkout maintenance and customization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pre-manufactured kiosks arrive plug-and-play, significantly reducing on-location setup time and overall costs compared to on-site construction.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Direct SourcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 January 2026Direct Source, headquartered in Minneapolis, is a retail technology solutions provider and vendor-neutral consultant that showcases Pan-Oston's checkout and fixture technologies to tier-one retailers at events like NRF: Retail's Big Show 2026. Direct Source positions Pan-Oston as one of its key technology partners alongside Honeywell, Zebra Technologies, EXO, Epson, and Crave Retail, helping retailers modernize operations through hardware procurement, software development, integration, and installation services.
• Complete Retail Solutions (CRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-Oston is a founding partner in Complete Retail Solutions (CRS), a collaborative initiative with several Best of Breed manufacturers. Pan-Oston co-founded CRS with Glen Bonner in 2002. CRS operates the shared CRS Innovation Center showroom in Toronto, providing training and collaborative space where retailers can explore solutions and brainstorm ideas addressing the changing retail environment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Diebold Nixdorf: Diebold Nixdorf provides integrated retail technology including self-checkout systems, POS hardware, and software. A broad incumbent in the same checkout/POS category where Pan-Oston's fixtures integrate, competing for retailer technology budgets.
• NCR Voyix (NCR Corporation): NCR Voyix is a large enterprise technology provider offering self-checkout, POS, and retail software/hardware solutions. Compared to Pan-Oston as a much larger incumbent in the same end-customer checkout workflow, though NCR bundles software and global services.
• Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions is a major provider of integrated in-store technology including self-checkout, POS, and retail software. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same retailer decision-making conversations as Pan-Oston's checkout fixtures.

Direct peers

• Anthony International: Anthony International designs and manufactures refrigerated and dry display cases, shelving, and store fixtures for grocery, c-store, and food retail. Comparable to Pan-Oston as a US-headquartered custom store fixture manufacturer serving the same end-customer base.
• Madix Inc. Madix manufactures retail store fixtures including shelving, checkout counters, and gondola systems for grocery, c-store, and big-box retail. Directly comparable to Pan-Oston as a custom sheet metal fixture fabricator serving the same enterprise retail customers.
• Lozier Corporation: Lozier is one of North America's largest manufacturers of retail store fixtures, shelving, and related products. Comparable to Pan-Oston in core product category and customer base, though at significantly larger scale.
• Trion Industries: Trion Industries produces metal store fixtures, POP displays, scan-rails, and checkout accessories. Comparable to Pan-Oston in metal fabrication of retail fixtures, with overlap on checkout accessories and bag-handling products.
• Streater LLC: Streater designs and manufactures custom retail store fixtures, displays, and checkout solutions for grocery, c-store, and mass-merchant retailers. Direct competitor to Pan-Oston in custom checkout and fixture fabrication.
• Hussmann Corporation: Hussmann is a leading North American manufacturer of refrigerated and non-refrigerated display cases, fixtures, and store equipment for grocery and food retail. Directly comparable to Pan-Oston given overlap in grocery checkout/fixture solutions and Pan-Oston's Southern Case Arts sub-brand for refrigerated display.

Regional players

• ITAB Shop Concept AB: ITAB Shop Concept is a European-headquartered retail fixture and check-out solutions provider serving grocery and specialty retail. Comparable product portfolio to Pan-Oston but primarily serving EMEA markets, with limited direct overlap in Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PanOstonCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/Pan-Oston-Ltd-195047203984401
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pan-oston-ltd/about

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Pan-Oston