McCloskey International marks a significant milestone this year, as the company founded in Canada celebrates four decades in business.
From humble beginnings, McCloskey has grown to become an established partner for dealers and customers worldwide. The company’s legacy is built on entrepreneurial drive, innovation and commitment to customer success.
In the early 1980s, Paschal McCloskey emigrated from Northern Ireland to Canada. It was a challenging time to start a career, with businesses struggling through a recession.
McCloskey began working in conveyor manufacturing, this is where he saw an opportunity in the market and began to produce his own line of trommels.
This move not only launched McCloskey but also laid the foundations for a solutions-focused business, based in Ajax, Ontario.
Darren McKnight, Vice President of McCloskey International, believes this mindset continues to define the company today.
“McCloskey was built on an entrepreneurial spirit, and that’s what continues to drive us. Our customers and dealers share that same ambition, and they expect us to be innovative, adaptable, and always ahead of the curve,” McKnight said.
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McCloskey’s first line of trommels in the late 1980s drove steady growth. As the company outgrew its location in Ajax, the founder began looking for more space and purchased a location in Peterborough in 1998. However, McCloskey didn’t move until 2000, as the company was simply too busy to slow down.
As its international exports continued to grow, McCloskey decided to purchase Viper, a screening company in Northern Ireland in 2002.
From the early 2000s onwards, the company had expanded its manufacturing operations to Northern Ireland, Canada and Wisconsin.
In Northern Ireland, the factory known as Granville, is currently undergoing an expansion in order to continue to meet the demand for McCloskey machines, with the build expected to be completed later this year.
McKnight emphasizes that McCloskey’s success isn’t just measured by its global footprint, but by the strength of its people and partnerships.
“For McCloskey, our biggest achievement has been sustained growth. We’ve continuously invested in our infrastructure, our systems, and, most importantly, our people,” McKnight said.
“We’ve built an industry-leading team here at McCloskey who are heavily invested in the growth of the company and are deeply loyal to our brand. But perhaps one of our greatest achievements has been the partnerships we’ve formed — not just with our dealers but with our customers, ensuring we are a true strategic partner in their success.”
Since 1985, McCloskey International has provided equipment used across industries including aggregate, mining, construction and demolition, waste management and recycling, landscaping and composting.
Today, the company offers a complete range of mobile solutions, including crushers, screeners, stackers and trommels tailored to real-world applications.
The company is now based in Tyrone, Northern Ireland, which also houses its crushing and screening engineering office. Combined with its 410,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Keene, Ontario, McCloskey International is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of mobile screening and crushing equipment.
Acquisitions
The material processing industry has transformed significantly over the past four decades, with increased consolidation, regulatory shifts and a growing emphasis on sustainability and recycling.
In 2019, Metso agreed to acquire McCloskey International in a deal valued at more than $420 million. The acquisition expanded Metso’s offering in the aggregates industry globally and strengthened its customer reach especially to general contractor customers.
The previous year, McCloskey acquired Lippmann-Milwaukee, a manufacturer of aggregate crushing equipment for processing applications. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lippmann was established in 1923 and dedicated itself to producing high quality crushing equipment on the market.
McCloskey has remained dynamic, evolving its product offerings and strengthening dealer support to help customers navigate changing demands. Although the industry has changed, McCloskey’s remained consistent in their commitment to delivering practical machines.
“Our industry is always evolving,” McKnight said. “Expectations around quality and technology keep rising. Legislative changes, sustainability demands and industry shifts, such as increased mergers and acquisitions, continue to shape how we do business. But through it all, we’ve stayed close to our customers, listening to their challenges and ensuring we remain agile. That’s why our dealer network and strategic partnerships matter now more than ever.”
Partnerships
McCloskey’s partnerships with dealers and customers worldwide play a crucial role in shaping its product development. By fostering relationships, McCloskey ensures its equipment delivers adaptable solutions that support customers and help them stay ahead.
“Our customers don’t just need a high-quality, reliable product,” McKnight said.
“They need strategic support and a true partnership. This is what we do, and this is what we see as our strength, setting us apart from the competition.”
As McCloskey looks to the future, the company remains committed to strengthening partnerships with dealers and customers, expanding its global reach, and setting new benchmarks in material processing.
McKnight sees this customer-first approach as central to McCloskey’s long-term vision.
“Over the next decade, we see ourselves staying even closer to our customers and dealers, using their frontline insights to drive greater innovation in our product design,” he said.
“Our goal is to build even stronger relationships and become the strategic partner of choice for our industry.”
