Our History

A letter from the CEO   

Our founder, Andrew Young McDonald, once said “We will make good products and sell them honestly.” With this simple statement, he set the course for a company that would thrive long past anyone’s expectations. But A.Y., as he was called, must have had an inkling of what was to come when he told his children, “I’ve started it and you can take it as far as you want to go.” These days, the McDonald family continues to own and operate the company that was started in 1856 by my Great-Great Grandfather. 

Today, A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. is one of the 100 oldest family businesses in America, as reported in Family Business Magazine. After 167 years in business, our company continues to grow and flourish because of one basic philosophy that drives our business: The Customer is the Boss! 

At A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co, we know that there is only one boss and it is the customer. The customer is the person that pays everyone’s salary and who decides whether a business is going to succeed or fail. The customer doesn’t care if a business has been around over 167 years….the minute it starts treating them badly, they’ll put it out of business simply by spending their money someplace else. That is why no matter what decision we make in our company, we first ask ourselves how it will affect the boss, our customer. If it isn’t a good decision for the customer, it isn’t a good decision for our company. This philosophy has served us well for many, many, years. 

Our people make a difference and are the key to our longevity. We are proud of the many years of service of co-workers at A.Y. McDonald. This is a company that people retire from after a long career. Multiple generations of the same families have worked here. We believe that our company “runs on people” and are proud to call these hard working and dedicated people our co-workers and part of our extended family. 

I thank you for your interest in and support of A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. We will continue to earn your business and look forward to serving you, the Boss!

Rob McDonald 

Chief Executive Officer 
A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co.