Our History

The G.J. Olney company traces it's roots back to the 1880's when G.B. Olney and C.F. Floyd started a vegetable canning plant in Westernville, NY. In 1909 George J. Olney, son of G.B. Olney began experimenting with his ideas for better processing machinery for the canning factory.

In 1915, "The Olney Mixer" became the first patented invention developed by Mr. Olney, promoted as "A Highly Developed Machine for Scientific Preparation of Corn and Succotash for the Filling Machine". The unit measured proportionately corn, beans, and syrup while also mixing and preheating the mixture

In 1917, George Olney became a member of the Canners Machinery and Supplies Association, a national organization sponsoring machinery exhibits for canners during the National Canners Convention held each year. Since 1917 machines have been exhibited yearly at the National Canners Conventions up to the present with the exception of the war years when the exhibition was not always held. (http://www.fpmsa.org/)

In 1920 the first Olney Washer for cleaning peas was introduced into the processing line in the Olney & Floyd factory in Lee Center. In the spring of 1921 one of these Washers was tried in the Stittville Canning Co., but was not purchased. The washer was sold at the convention to Mt. Airy Canning Co., Mt. Airy, Maryland, and later in that year several other units were placed and commercial operations began to grow rapidly so that by 1925, 70 units were placed in pea cleaning lines in that year alone.

With improvements and developments of other ideas, the Olney Washer was joined by other processing machines, all covered with patents, and the shop operations continued to grow

Equipment now manufactured is used in processing lines in such diverse areas as Japan, New Zealand, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Russian, Australia, England, South America, South Africa, as well as throughout the U.S. and Canada. Products processed with this equipment includes such items as peas, beans, corn, lima beans, dry beans, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and various other vegetables.

George J. Olney, around whose original patented inventions the present enterprise was developed, remained the Company president until his death in February 1974. The management of the Company continues to be operated by the third generation, G. Joseph Olney, David Olney and Mark Olney.