Area resident Thomas Dauterman founded Thomas Welding & Machine, Inc. Located in Chico, California within the agriculture rich Sacramento Valley, in 1970. With a humble beginning in a small rented shop, the business of fabricating and repairing farm equipment flourished and soon outgrew its facility. In 1974 property was purchased and the first building erected at its current location. Throughout the years, Thomas Welding has expanded its facilities and product line to keep pace with demands of the agriculture industry. In 1976 Thomas Hydraulics & Hardware was established to better serve the needs of area farmers. In addition to portable belt conveyor systems Thomas has developed and manufactures one of the most efficient and innovative nut harvesting systems in the industry: “the bankout system.”
Today, employing approximately 65 people with nearly 78,000 square feet of shop area located on 6 acres, Thomas runs and maintains one of the largest machine shops north of Sacramento. Apart from Thomas Manufacturing, we specialize in Machine & Fabrication work. Customers come from all over Northern California for their fabrication and/or repair needs.
The Grow Manufacturing Initiative is a proud member of California’s Manufacturing Network. The Network was formed and is managed by CMTC, to efficiently serve manufacturers statewide. As a member of California’s Manufacturing Network, the Grow Manufacturing Initiative delivers technical assistance services and resources which address the regional challenges driven by the diverse manufacturing community. California’s Manufacturing Network is a collaboration of more than 20 organizations throughout the state, serving more than 2,000 companies annually, and adding significant economic impact for manufacturers and the public good of the State of California.