Over 90 years of innovation
Oliver is a third-generation manufacturer in North America. Established in 1930 by Oliver W. Steele ( who was born to one of the developers of the first modern gravity separator, circa 1897) the company has flourished throughout the past 90 years.
From the beginning, the company has been run by the Oliver family. Grandson Geoff O. Burney took over after Oliver W Steel retired. For forty years he strived to make this company not only a great place to work but also a beacon for all things processing. Following in the path of his father’s footsteps Brian Burney now keeps the family business thriving.
Since the start, it has been a goal to combine durability and efficiency with technological advancements to make high-quality products. Like the 1951 multiple-fan design that tripled capacity and today’s Voyager and Maxi-Cap Platinum. The first fully automated, fully integrated gravity separators in the business.
For 90 years, Oliver has led the way with products for the seed, nut, coffee, recycling, lumber, and mining industries. With the help of people like you, we will be around for another 90. Together our hope of Processing for a more productive planet will come true. Check out how we can help your processing needs today!
A History of Innovation
Established in 1930 by Oliver W. Steele, Oliver Manufacturing has been a family-run organization for three generations. When Oliver retired, grandson Geoff Burney took over and oversaw 40 years of success before passing the baton to his son, Brian. The latter now guides the operation and continues a legacy of a family-oriented business and has transitioned the company into a thriving leader in the 21st-century seed processing industry.
Since the start, Oliver’s bedrock principle has been to combine durability and efficiency leveraged with technological advancements to make high-quality products. The company has always been a leader in seed, nut, coffee, recycling, lumber, and mining product processing. Our multiple fan innovation in 1951 transformed the industry by tripling capacity. In 2011, Oliver introduced our Voyager and Maxi-Cap Platinum line of gravity tables—the market’s first fully-automatic, fully-integrated separation capabilities. The ability to store settings (or recipes) delivers faster repeat setup time and vastly improved consistency across all seed processing operations.
A Worldwide Reputation for Separation Performance
Our approach is working! Oliver Manufacturing’s reach extends across North and South America, and the Asia Pacific region. Our machines prove themselves daily as invaluable tool in businesses. From small farms and timber mills to multinational agricultural, industrial mining, and recycling our highly efficient processing solutions win legions of new fans daily.
A Strong Connection to the Industry
Situated amid Colorado’s rural plains, Oliver Manufacturing’s warehouse has everything one might imagine—and a few things that may surprise you. Our location connects to the land and the farmers who work the fields and whose very existence depends upon the tools they use. Agriculture surrounds us. ignited by Colorado’s beauty and grace we are reminded of the wonders of the desert plains which provide the perfect climate for growing cantaloupe and watermelon. We work and are dedicated to feeding the world.”
For nearly a century, Oliver has led the way with seed, nut, coffee, recycling, lumber, and mining products. Together our hope of processing for a more productive planet will come true.
Always mindful of our legacy
One can find something unexpected in one small corner, tucked away from the familiar factory turf is the Oliver history museum. The exhibit is small but rich in history. It features decades of historic machines from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Most of the models are still running and have twins operating for clients all around the world.
The oldest item on display, a gravity separator, was manufactured in the late ’30s or early 40s. Its age is betrayed by the original wooden frame and triangular deck. Which was standard for gravity separators until Founder Oliver Steele patented the rectangular deck design in 1956. The next machine in the exhibit, a 1986 Maxi-Cap, is the sixteenth machine in its line ever built.
“Our museum connects our staff and visitors to our company’s history,” says President and CEO, Brian Burney
The museum provides historical context to Oliver Manufacturing’s drive to innovate. Guests are encouraged to peruse the pages of archives. In them are preserved Oliver advertorials, staff appearances in the press, and photos. Including coverage of retired President Geoff Burney’s many ventures into the world of professional racing.
It’s easy to lose yourself in the documents and photographs representing Oliver’s past. Even easier to lose oneself amongst the rare or well-aged machines and mechanical artifacts. But as you pull away and look out toward the bustling factory floor, full of employees, parts, and sleek new machines, it’s just as easy to see how Oliver Manufacturing’s drive to innovate is strong as ever.
