Douglas Machines Corp. – History In The Making

History of Douglas Machines 

The history of Douglas Machines Corp. began when lifetime entrepreneur Douglas Miller moved from England to Clearwater, FL as a young man in the 1970s. Douglas was always looking for ways to make small businesses more efficient, and he quickly realized that the bakery and supermarket sectors were being bogged down by the lengthy process of handwashing large racks and sheet pans.

That’s why, in 1979, he got to work building the first Douglas Machines cabinet washer in his sister’s garage in Dunedin, FL. Later that year, Douglas Machines got its first HQ: a small office space on Sunnydale Boulevard.

We’ve come a long way since then. After the 2011 FSMA was passed, we experienced such a boom in business that in 2016, we moved into our 68,000-square-foot facility which tripled our manufacturing, assembly, and shipping areas.

The baking industry was Douglas Miller’s bread and butter, and our connections to the industry will always be special. We’ve expanded into dozens of market sectors thanks to our hard work, customer-centric approach, and dedication to customization and innovation. We now have loyal connections in food processing, pet food, snacks, nutraceuticals, dairy, and more.

As we’ve expanded, made new connections, and tackled new problems from our customers, our product line has grown and diversified. We’ve always prioritized innovation in our designs, and that leads to changes. Douglas Miller’s first line of washers consisted of 3-4 models designed for bakeries. Douglas Machines now offers 80 models that service dozens of sectors, plus custom machines for unique problems. The result? Our customers return to us again and again to solve their cleaning challenges.

Everything we do is driven by curiosity. We ask questions, we listen, and we combine our customers’ perspectives with our thorough knowledge and technology to create more intuitive products. 

Douglas Machines’ history is one of hard work and community. Our incredible team and partnerships brought the company from a Dunedin garage to our current state-of-the-art facility. We hope you’ll join the Douglas Machines community as we forge into the future.

 

Douglas Machines History Timeline

1979

Early cabinet washer sold by Douglas Machines Corp. President Dave Ward and Sales Engineer Suzanne Whitehurst, to a customer, with company founder Douglas Miller. The very first Douglas washer was built in the garage of Doug Miller’s sister in Dunedin, Florida.

1980

Sunnydale Boulevard, home to the headquarters for Douglas Machines Corp. from 1979 – 1992.

1981

Our heritage runs deep in the baking industry. Here’s a print advertisement in Baking Industry Magazine, showcasing the 1036 rack, pan, and utensil washer.

1993

One of the earlier Douglas Machines Corp. pieces of equipment – the Amada Pega Punch machine.

1997

Douglas Machines Corp. sales team gearing up for one of our many trade shows.

1998

Engineer John Jurski working on one of our earlier model tunnel washers.

2016

Douglas Machines Corp. moved to a new 68,000 square foot facility that tripled manufacturing, assembly, testing and shipping areas.

2018

Today, Douglas Machines Corp. works with customers in 9 key industry sectors, as well as several others, solving their washing and sanitizing issues.

2024

From humble beginnings, Douglas Machines Corp. has grown to provide customers with a full line of automated washing and sanitizing equipment that includes over 80 standard models, customized solutions, and superior customer service.

Phone

Email

info@dougmac.com

Corporate Office

4500 110th Ave N
Clearwater, FL 33762

Business Hours

Monday -Friday                8:00am - 4:30pm

Connect With Us

Reach Out to Us

Have a question? Our experienced sales and engineering staff is ready to assist you in identifying the very best Douglas Washer or Replacement Part to match your specific needs. Call 888-348-3947 for parts and service or email us today. We are here to help you!

How Can We Help?