Christensen Machinery & Supply Company

What Christensen Machinery & Supply Company does

Christensen Machinery & Supply Company (CMS) is a privately held industrial machinery and cutting tool distributor founded in 1951 and headquartered in Menominee, Michigan. The company operates from a 25,000 sq ft facility containing a live showroom and serves manufacturing customers across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, and a broader five-state regional footprint. Its end markets span shipbuilders, paper mills, copper and iron mines, large machine shops, and major industrial manufacturers, making it a generalist industrial tooling supplier to legacy Midwest heavy industry.

CMS generates revenue through two primary streams. The first is distribution of industrial machinery and consumable cutting tools sourced from brand partners, where the company holds authorized relationships with Kennametal (as a Core distributor), WIDIA, Master Chemical, and PLATIT, among others. The second is a portfolio of in-house precision services: tool reconditioning performed under its Kennametal Licensed Reconditioning Center designation, Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating deployed via PLATIT technology under the CMS PVD Coating Services sub-brand, CNC tool sharpening, and full machine rebuilding. The company also deploys CribMaster vendor-managed inventory systems inside customer facilities to manage consumable tooling spend on a recurring basis.

The business is family/privately held under President Steven Delgoffe and employs between 11 and 50 people. Pricing is established through individual customer quotes rather than published rate cards, consistent with bespoke B2B industrial relationships. Revenue mechanics blend one-time equipment and consumable sales with recurring service revenue from reconditioning, PVD coating, and managed inventory contracts. The company has operated continuously for over 70 years with no disclosed funding events, acquisitions, or ownership transitions.

Name

Christensen Machinery & Supply Company

Legal name

Christensen Machinery & Supply Company, Inc.

Website

https://christensenmachinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christensen Machinery & Supply Company is an industrial machinery and cutting tool distributor founded in 1951 in Menominee, Michigan, serving shipbuilders, paper mills, mines, and machine shops across a five-state Upper Midwest region with distribution, tool reconditioning, and PVD coating services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Machinery Distribution

NAICS

Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324), Machinery Manufacturing (333)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Saws & Cutting Systems (Band/Circular Saws, Abrasive Cutting) (IMAHADAL), Workshop Tools, Equipment & Lift Systems Distribution (TLAKAOAM)

Keywords

• Industrial machinery distribution
• Cutting tools supply
• CNC equipment sales
• Tool reconditioning services
• PVD coating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Menominee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Inventory, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Machine and Tool Sales: Sales of new and used machinery including CNC machines, cutting tools, and related production equipment from manufacturer partners.
2. Tool Reconditioning and Sharpening: CNC tool sharpening, regrinding, and PVD recoating services for drills, milling cutters, and custom tools. Kennametal Licensed Reconditioning Center for Dynapoint products.
3. Machine Service and Rebuilding: Full machine service center including rebuilding, bedway grinding, ball bar testing, and authorized repair for Aro, TopCat, and Jet equipment.
4. Tool Crib Management: CribMaster and SupplyPro vending solutions with inventory management software for tools, MRO, indirect materials, and mobile assets.
5. PVD Coating Services: Physical vapor deposition coating services for cutting tools and wear components, offered by piece or by load.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Christensen Machinery & Supply Company distributes industrial cutting tools, CNC machines, and production equipment from leading manufacturers, and provides tool reconditioning, PVD coating, machine rebuilding, CNC tool sharpening, custom tool manufacturing, and inventory management services. Operating from a 25,000 sq ft facility with a live machine showroom and training center, the company serves shipbuilders, paper mills, mines, machine shops, and major manufacturers.

Product overview

Christensen Machinery & Supply Company is an industrial distributor and service provider offering a broad portfolio of cutting tools, machinery, and precision manufacturing services. The core product offering centers on quality cutting tools, machinery, and related products from leading manufacturers including Kennametal, WIDIA, Chevalier, Kent USA, and others. The company operates as an Authorized Kennametal Distributor and Reconditioning Partner, providing Workholding Solutions for 3, 4, and 5 Axis CNC Machines. Key services include PVD Coating Services (using PLATIT π111Plus technology offering TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, and Nano Composite coatings), Machine Rebuilding and Repair, CNC Tool Sharpening, Band Saw Blade Welding, Coolant Laboratory testing, Tool Reconditioning (Kennametal Licensed Reconditioning Center), and CNC Machine Programming Services. The company also offers the CribMaster Inventory Management System and SupplyPro vending solutions for tool tracking and industrial vending. Their portfolio includes new and used machinery across multiple brands, with a live machine showroom for demonstrations and a customer training facility. Founded in 1951, the company serves the upper peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and surrounding five states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cutting Tools, Machinery, and Related Products
• KOR 5 Roughing Tool
• PVD Coating Services Physical Vapor Deposition coating services including TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, and Silicon Nitride Matrix Nano Composite coatings applied to cutting tools and wear components using a PLATIT π111Plus coater for industrial manufacturing customers.
• Machine Rebuilding and Repair Full machine service center providing machine rebuilding, bedway grinding, and ball bar testing for CNC and conventional machines, with authorized repair services for Aro, TopCat, and Jet equipment.
• CNC Tool Sharpening Tool sharpening and regrinding services for drills, milling cutters, and custom tools using CNC grinding equipment with on-machine and offline video inspection to restore cutting tools to factory-new performance.
• Band Saw Blade Welding Band saw blade welding services for industrial manufacturing applications, offered as part of the Tool Regrinding Division.
• Coolant Laboratory In-house laboratory for testing customer coolant samples by factory-certified technicians, with premier status maintained with Master Chemical Corporation for recommendations and product support.
• CribMaster Inventory Management System RFID-based inventory management system with point-of-use tracking and industrial vending solutions for tools, MRO supplies, indirect materials, and mobile assets, providing total tool crib automation.
• Tool Reconditioning Center Kennametal Licensed Reconditioning Center for Dynapoint hole-making products, providing rapid-turnaround regrinding and PVD recoating of drills and milling cutters via the Precision Services Division.
• SupplyPro Vending Solutions Automated tool crib and industrial vending solutions for businesses of any size, providing total tool tracking integrated with the CribMaster ecosystem.
• New Machinery Sales of new machine tools including CNC lathes, mills, machining centers, grinders, saws, and drilling machines from brands such as Amada, Chevalier, Clausing, Kent USA, Takamaz, and Victor Taichung.
• Used Machinery Sales of pre-owned industrial machinery available for purchase by manufacturing customers.
• Custom Tool Manufacturing Custom tool manufacturing to customer specifications, including complicated multi-step tight-tolerance form tools, produced using CNC grinding equipment with video inspection.
• CNC Machine Programming Services Professional CNC machine programming services supporting customer machining operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 66% higher table feed than common tools with 3 flutes for KOR 5 cutting tools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KennametalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristensen Machinery is an Authorized Kennametal Distributor & Reconditioning Partner. The company is the Midwest's Kennametal Licensed Reconditioning Center for all high performance Dynapoint hole making products.
• WIDIAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of WIDIA carbide inserts and metal cutting tooling.
• Fifth AxisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for industrial solutions and products.
• HainbuchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Hainbuch CNC chucks, collet heads, and quick change collets.
• Victor TaichungminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Victor Taichung CNC machine tools.
• AvtechminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for machine tools.
• Salmi AutomationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for automation solutions.
• TakamazminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Takamaz CNC precision lathes and special purpose machines.
• ClausingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Clausing industrial machine tools.
• Willis MachineryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Willis drill presses, milling machines, and accessories.
• Marvel ManufacturingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Marvel metal cutting band saw machines.
• ChevalierminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Chevalier CNC lathes, mills, and surface grinders.
• Smart Machine ToolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for CNC lathes and machining centers.
• AmadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for metal cutting bandsaw equipment.
• Kent USAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Kent USA surface grindinders, centerless grinders, lathes, knee mills, CNC bed mills, EDM machines.
• Kent CNCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Kent CNC machining centers, CNC lathes, and horizontal machining centers.
• JET ToolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Jet Equipment Repair Center for metal and woodworking machines and power tools.
• KSI SwissminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for high-precision CNC Swiss-type automatics.
• Master Chemical CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristensen Machinery's coolant laboratory maintains premier status with Master Chemical Corporation. Factory certified technicians provide coolant testing and recommendations using their products.
• CribMastercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of CribMaster Inventory Management System for tools, MRO, indirect materials. Christensen offers this as part of their tool crib management solutions.
• PLATITcoreTechnology or IntegrationChristensen Machinery uses PLATIT π111Plus Coater for PVD coating services. PLATIT provides the coating technology equipment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Fastenal: Large industrial supply distributor with on-site vending and fastener/MRO solutions, including industrial vending similar to Christensen's CribMaster offering. Comparable on the managed-services and vending side, though Fastenal is national and fastener-heavy rather than machine-tool focused.
• Grainger: Fortune 500 industrial supply distributor serving MRO and metalworking customers across the US. Comparable as a broad-line industrial distributor serving manufacturers, though Grainger's catalog is far broader and skews toward MRO consumables rather than capital machine tools.
• MSC Industrial Direct: Large national industrial distributor of metalworking tools, cutting tools, and MRO supplies. Overlaps with Christensen on cutting tool and machine tool accessory distribution, but operates at vastly greater scale with a national footprint and digital procurement platform.
• McMaster-Carr: National industrial supply distributor with a broad catalog of metalworking, cutting tool, and MRO products. Comparable as an industrial tooling supplier serving manufacturers, but McMaster's breadth and digital catalog far exceed Christensen's specialty depth.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Industrial distributor focused on bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and specialty products with a FluidPower and FlowCtrl division. Overlaps with Christensen in serving industrial manufacturers with technical products, though larger and more diversified.

Direct peers

• Productivity Inc: Regional Midwest industrial distributor specializing in CNC machine tools, tooling, and metalworking solutions. Closely comparable to Christensen on product mix (machine tools, cutting tools, workholding) and customer type, though Productivity covers a broader Midwest footprint.
• Travers Tool Company: Industrial distributor specializing in cutting tools, machine tool accessories, and metalworking supplies. Comparable to Christensen on cutting tool distribution and shop-floor customer base, with a stronger e-commerce channel presence.
• Hartwig Company: Regional industrial distributor of machine tools and metalworking products across the Midwest and South. Comparable to Christensen as a Kennametal-aligned machine tool distributor with service offerings and a regional field-sales model.

Others

• Kennametal Industrial Tooling Distributors: Broader network of authorized Kennametal distributors and licensed reconditioning centers competing with Christensen in adjacent territories. Relevant as direct comparables for the distribution-plus-reconditioning business model.
• Kennametal: Manufacturer of metalworking cutting tools and wear-resistant solutions — also Christensen's principal partner. Comparable because Kennametal's products are central to Christensen's offering and reconditioning center business; the relationship is symbiotic rather than competitive for most accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Christensen Machinery & Supply Company