In 1969, Gary and Virginia McDaniel established MAC Equipment. Today, it employs more than 350 people in North America.

In 1969, Gary and Virginia McDaniel established MAC Equipment. Today, it employs more than 350 people in North America.

More than 30% of MAC’s workforce consists of degreed engineers in mechanical, electrical, chemical and milling science disciplines.

“Our experienced in-house engineers enable us to implement complete system design, project management and turn-key installed projects,” says Jay Brown, the company’s president and CEO. “This unique combination, together with our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities [in Houston and Sabetha], test labs [pneumatic and filtration] and leading research and development personnel, makes MAC the premier source for pneumatic conveying, process controls and air filtration.”

The company started out in Sabetha, Kan., as a business pioneering the development of dust collection and clean air systems based on the Clean Air Act of 1970. Through the 1970s MAC focused on new technology related specifically to dust collection and reduced emissions in the grain and food industries. In 1978, MAC acquired COLT-ON Industries, which added pneumatic conveying to its offerings and also incorporated the trademark logo of MAC Equipment.

In 1979, Gary McDaniel was named the National Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year by then-president Jimmy Carter. In 1984, MAC acquired Boothe Industries, which added dense phase conveying to its line of equipment offerings, an integral technology in the processing industry. MAC moved its corporate headquarters in 1986 to Kansas City, Mo., and opened its single-source service center for MAC parts, components, small system sales and ancillary parts associated with dust collection and pneumatic conveying. MAC later acquired SEMCO Systems in 1993 and Allied Flo-tronics in 1994.

Gary McDaniel retired in 1998 and sold the business to George K. Baum and Co., allowing for continued growth in both dust collection and pneumatic conveying during the next decade. This growth apparently caught the attention of Clyde Process Solutions PLC, which acquired MAC in 2007. That move created a global presence for both MAC and Clyde technologies that continues today, the company says.

“Successful innovation, together with the effective use of advanced technology, has fostered the global expansion of our business throughout the processing industry,” says Dan Geller, executive vice president. “With evolving regulations concerning OSHA, NFPA and plant safety, MAC has stayed on the forefront of understanding and designing equipment for environmental safety and cleanliness.”

Editor’s Note: MAC Equipment supplied information for this article.