December 12, 2025 Wheeler Dealer

If you need it moved, appraised, sold, or auctioned, Wheeler Machinery can do that – and more.

By Lorie Greenspan

There’s nothing better than surprising customers with your ability to deliver the goods. That’s what they do at Wheeler Machinery, based in Pomona, California, a spry company that has built a solid reputation for being quick on its feet. From selling surplus machinery to selling and consolidating industrial plant assets, Wheeler is an enterprise built from humble roots that continues to grow its tried-and-true path of innovation.

“One thing that surprises people most about us is just how much we get done for our size company,” says company President Dan Wheeler. In addition to selling surplus machinery, Wheeler helps clients sell all their assets, then cleans out buildings to be repurposed to the next company. “We purchase surplus manufacturing equipment from people out in the field. We bring it back here, we go through it and we resell it. So, we’re good at repurposing equipment, which keeps a lot of OEM manufacturers happy, because we keep their equipment out in the field longer.” Wheeler also performs equipment appraisals for attorneys, banks, and estate planning.”

“None of this would be possible without the support I have,” says Wheeler. “My wife Gina has been by my side the entire time. 3 years ago, she joined me full time. It’s been an incredible partnership and nice spending everyday with her.”

He adds, “I think the most shocking thing is just how many different facets we manage in this little industrial world we live in, and we kind of tackle all of it.”

Father to Son

Wheeler Machinery was founded in the 1960’s by Wheeler’s father, Crist, whose experience repairing equipment in the U.S. Navy gave him the ability to launch his small company in Los Angeles, California. “Some of the better technicians I’ve ever had served in the U.S. Navy,” Wheeler explains. “The training they get and the knowledge they have without using a drawing is second to none.

 Wheeler flourished under his father’s tutelage before receiving an engineering degree, then worked in other careers, including law enforcement, before returning to the family business after his father was diagnosed with lung disease. While carrying on the Wheeler tradition, he has also taken risks to grow the business.

“I’ve purchased a property, I’ve made other investments with the money that we’ve made, and I’ve spent a lot of that money on better equipment such as lifting gear, as Wheeler performs its own rigging. There is a million dollars in equipment out here, just for lifting,” he said. The investment is to ensure safety for employees. “It says a lot about a company that has nicer gear and spends the time and money such equipment. I’ve really tried to put the company in a position so when somebody walks through this door, they know that we’re a solid company and they’re going to get quality product from us.” Such attention to particulars has enabled Wheeler to grow in sales year after year.

The bulk of what Wheeler does is plant liquidations. “We go out, we walk a plant, we figure out, you know, is this a deal that we want to sell on a commission basis, or do we want to just buy everything there and take the risk but make a little bit more money if it goes as planned?

“We’re in a capital-oriented business, and we’re in a very economic oriented business. It can be very challenging, so you must have your hand in a lot of different things if you’re going to succeed.

An example of Wheeler’s multi-faceted expertise can be found in the diverse customer base. From an appraisal of shop contents for an organ builder to helping a caster wheel manufacturer to move its operation, Wheeler has the acumen for anything movable.

In the case of the caster manufacturer, Wheeler was tasked with moving casters that carry plane fuselages valued at $35,000 per wheel. “They needed to get eighty percent of their facility from California to Michigan, and they were worried that once they got there, they wouldn’t be able to make sense out of it.” Wheeler devised the necessary plan, packed everything up and between day the packing started and three weeks later in Michigan, the company was back to making wheels.

Wheeler also maintains a vast inventory of equipment, including lathes, plate rolls, welders, milling machines, presses and CNC machines. The company sells its stock to customers in Mexico and Central America, as well as Canada, and overseas. “I’ve shipped to Germany, Vietnam, and Malaysia,” Wheeler notes. “We just shipped two presses to China.”

In addition, over the past 25 years, Wheeler Machinery has been involved in over 500 Industrial auctions from Los Angeles all the way to the East Coast while also covering Canada and Mexico. “We have the capacity to handle shops and manufacturing facilities of all sizes,” he says. “Auctions are an excellent option when a company needs to liquidate a large amount of assets quickly and profitably. For manufacturing, retail, or wholesale, we offer liquidation services in a variety of industries.

“We just don’t have a sale,” he emphasizes, “we clean up the building for the next guy.”

Repair & Technology

To further enhance its business strength Wheeler recently acquired Dan’s Machine Tool in Anaheim, California. From lathes and mills to grinders and sheet metal equipment, its repair team is equipped to handle it whether it’s a precision rebuild, a head swap, or a full refurbishment. “In many cases, we’ll get a machine back up and running right in the field. If we can’t, we’ll bring it in, go through it completely, and return it better than new,” Wheeler says. Dan’s Machine Tool brings with it some heavyweight clients, including Chevron, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and SpaceX.

In addition, the machine tool world has moved into computerized controls, modernizing equipment to the point that “if shops aren’t modernizing into that technology, they’re just left behind, and it’s just a matter of time before we’re over there closing them.”

There’s also a lot of less expensive equipment coming from China, he explains, which has forced manufacturers of higher quality equipment to bring their prices down, “or they’re not going to make it.”

The internet has also brought changes, from the old days of advertising in magazines to needing presence in the Google search. “The name of the game right now is, how do I get my website and my equipment up to the top on a Google search,” he said.

From the sound of it, though, it doesn’t seem Wheeler Machinery has trouble gaining exposure for its business. With Dan’s son, Garrett, poised to step in as third generation business owner, Wheeler is confident he will continue the legacy while doing what he’s good at.

“What I really love,” he adds, “are the cool people I meet – people exhausted from figuring out how to downsize or how to move their company.” These companies soon learn to look no further. Wheeler has the solution.

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