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SBDC Hall of Fame

Audubon Machinery Corporation

Audubon Machinery Corporation

Christopher Collins, Joseph McMahon and Robert Schlehr
Audubon Machinery Corporation
Niagara SBDC

Audubon Machinery Corporation was established in February 2004 by co-owners Christopher Collins, Joseph McMahon and Robert Schlehr. Audubon acquired two companies that year - Oxygen Generating Systems Inc. (OGSI) and Schlyer Machine Company (SMC). OGSI, a client of the Niagara SBDC since 1995, manufactures oxygen systems for medical, agricultural, water treatment and industrial purposes. The company has oxygen plants in over 70 countries. In August 2005, OGSI sent an on-site oxygen generating system to the FloridaOne Disaster Medical Assistance Team to aid in hurricane relief efforts. The system eliminated the team's dependence on delivery of oxygen, which was invaluable to their efforts. SMC manufactures equipment for medical facilities that conduct research on animals.

In 2005, the principals decided to consolidate operations into one location. Joe McMahon worked with Business Advisor Deanna Alterio Brennen to prepare a business plan for a new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility on a remediated brownfield in North Tonawanda. Wurlitzer Capital Group LLC (Wurlitzer) was formed as a real estate holding company of Audubon for the expansion project. The SBDC is currently working with a division of Wurlitzer known as Wurlitzer Water Works to manufacture and distribute self-contained sterile water bottles to animal testing labs. OGSI was SBDC's Startup Company of the Year in 1995, and was named Exporter of the Year in 2000 by the SBDC and the SBA. In 2001, OGSI was named one of America's entrepreneurial growth leaders and one of the nation's fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Magazine. In 2007, Audubon was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for building New York State's first green-certified factory.

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