Our History
From a two-car garage in 1941 to a modern precision CNC machine shop, Canady Manufacturing has remained a family-owned business for three generations.
For more than eight decades, Canady Manufacturing has adapted to changing technologies, industries, and customer requirements while remaining true to the principles on which the company was founded: craftsmanship, hard work, accountability, and service to our customers.
1941
The Beginning
A Two-Car Garage in Lynwood
Canady Manufacturing Company was founded by Guy Canady in 1941 in a two-car garage in Lynwood, California. What began as a small four-person manual machine shop would become the foundation of a family manufacturing business spanning three generations.
1940s
Wartime Manufacturing
Supporting American Industry
Canady became a major supplier of machined components during World War II. The company's involvement in defense manufacturing continued through the Korean War and later the Vietnam War, beginning a long relationship with military and aerospace manufacturing that continues today.
1951
Growth
Incorporation and Huntington Park
In May 1951, Canady Manufacturing Company was incorporated. With the business growing beyond its original surroundings, the company moved to a larger facility in Huntington Park, California.
1963
San Fernando
A Permanent Home
In 1963, Canady relocated to San Fernando, California, where the company remains today. Over the years, the facility has been expanded three times to its present 6,500 square feet.
2nd
Generation
Continuing the Family Business
Guy Canady's daughters, Helen Koehn and Barbara Hull, became the second-generation owners of Canady Manufacturing. Under their ownership, the company continued to grow while maintaining the family character and commitment to manufacturing established by their father.
1977
Next Generation
Starting on the Shop Floor
Brian Koehn and Rod Hull joined Canady Manufacturing in 1977. Both began as minimum-wage machinist employees, learning the business from the shop floor and gaining decades of hands-on machining and manufacturing experience before eventually taking ownership of the company.
Evolution
Manual to CNC
Changing with Manufacturing
Manufacturing changed dramatically during Canady's first several decades, and the company changed with it. The original manual machine shop evolved into a modern CNC manufacturing operation, incorporating computer-controlled machining and CAD/CAM technology while retaining the machining knowledge developed over generations.
2005
Third Generation
Ownership Passes to the Third Generation
In 2005, Helen Koehn and Barbara Hull transferred ownership of Canady Manufacturing to their sons, Brian Koehn and Rod Hull. The transition marked the beginning of the third generation of family ownership.
Today
The Tradition Continues
More Than Eight Decades of Manufacturing
Canady Manufacturing remains a family-owned precision machine shop operating from the San Fernando facility it has called home since 1963. Today, modern CNC turning, milling, CAD/CAM technology, and a certified quality management system support customers in aerospace, defense, military, and commercial industries.
The machines and technology bear little resemblance to those in Guy Canady's two-car garage in 1941, but the principles behind the company remain familiar: know your craft, stand behind your work, and build relationships that last.
Three Generations • Since 1941
Built over generations. Still moving forward.
Canady Manufacturing's history is more than the number of years the company has been in business. It represents generations of accumulated manufacturing knowledge, long-standing customer relationships, and a continuing commitment to producing quality work.
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