Stiles Machinery Inc. was founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1965 as a division of Web Stiles, Inc. Back then, Mr. Stiles' parts inventory and showroom were in the rear of his station wagon. In 1975, Peter Kleinschmidt purchased the company on behalf of the Lohmann International Trading Group, where Mr. Kleinschmidt served as Director of UK Operations. Mr. Kleinschmidt took over the company as President, and within a few years acquired the business in a management buy-out in partnership with David Rothwell, Executive Vice President. The two business partners then developed Stiles Machinery Inc. into a world-class organization, and strategic investments were made to enhance parts and service capabilities to focus closely on customer needs.
In early 1985, Altendorf America (now Stiles Shop Solutions) was formed to serve the needs of small shops and starting businesses. In 1990, Stiles Education was founded. It was the first and only industry training center and is still today accredited by IACET. Stiles took on its present structure when it merged Holzma U.S. into Stiles Machinery in 1992. In 2006, Stiles launched the Solid Wood Technologies division as a direct response to customers who require machinery solutions in addition to traditional panel processing needs.
Today, Stiles employs over 400 employees across the country, and more than 200 of those employees are dedicated to customer service and provide: repairs, parts, training, and technical support. The business philosophy of Stiles Machinery Inc. was built upon long-term relationships with customers, employees and suppliers; the company still proudly embraces those relationships 43 years later.