About Us
Schnell Industries was founded in 1994 by Fred Dueck. The story goes back to 1978, when fresh out of high school, he got a job at an oil drilling rig manufacturing company in the US oil belt. He gained experience building and rebuilding oil equipment that was sold worldwide. In 1981, he moved to midwestern Canada, where he worked for multiple companies producing equipment ranging from commercial boats to highway trailers and agricultural equipment. In 1994, he decided to start his own little business in a 600 sq. ft. rented shop space in the village of Plum Coulee, Manitoba. His vision was to serve the farming community by providing repair services. He soon became known as not only the guy who could repair anything that was broken but also as someone who could take a new concept and turn it into an innovative piece of quality equipment.
In 1997, the business had outgrown the space, and we moved into a 2400-square-foot facility, just a block away from our original location.
The company moved on from its humble beginnings and outgrew several facilities. By 2006, Schnell Industries was involved in manufacturing equipment for the oil and gas industry. This opened up many opportunities, and a lot of experience was gained in a short time as the company scaled quickly to meet demand.
In 2013, the company moved to a brand new facility in Winkler, MB. When the oil industry experienced a slump, resources were pivoted to develop and diversify Schnell’s own product lines, as well as securing OEM contracts with other large manufacturers. In 2021, Schnell doubled the facility size to meet demand.
With continuous growth driven by both existing and new customers, we needed to expand once again. In 2013, we constructed a 20,000-square-foot facility featuring high ceilings, extra-wide shop doors, and overhead cranes, fully equipping our shop to handle any project. Located on the east end of Winkler, Manitoba, this facility saw another 20,000-square-foot expansion in 2021 to meet the rapid increase in production demands.
In 2023, Schnell Industries was acquired by Mike Friesen, the owner of Elmer’s Manufacturing in Altona, MB. This acquisition brings exciting synergies to the table while still maintaining the name and products Schnell Industries is known.
A 32,700‑square‑foot facility was built to house our Sand Blasting and Powder Coating Paint Department and offices, strengthening our capabilities and enabling us to serve customers better.
2025
Today, Schnell Industries operates out of a 73,200-square-foot facility and is still managed by members of the Dueck family as well as other key personnel who carry on the original vision of innovation and excellence.
