Brunette Machine Works – The History

In the mid 1920’s two machinists/blacksmiths Gustav (Gus) Pousette and Adam Murray formed Pousette and Murray in a small shop located on Nelson Street, near Brunette Street in Sapperton District of New Westminster.

Gus Pousette, born in Gavle, Sweden, immigrated to Canada with his two brothers who stayed on in Ontario while he migrated to the West.

Adam Murray immigrated from the English midlands about the same time.

Both had worked at one time in the Brunette Sawmill machine shop a few blocks west of their new shop. In addition to a repair business, the firm manufactured shingle machines and other equipment and the Pousette patented shingle ratchet became a standard on many other competitive machines as well. On Gus’ death in 1942 his son Harold Pousette, who had worked up from Sawfiler to Superintendent of Flavelle Cedar in Port Moody, purchased Adam Murray’s share of the business and incorporated Brunette Machine Works Ltd.

Brunette manufactured a number of special machines for shingles, grooving, sawmill and veneer plywood applications. In the mid-1950’s, after manufacturing a number of early cable and coil spring tool arm Ring Debarkers for the late Sid Hansell of Seattle, Brunette developed and began manufacturing of a revolutionary Ring Debarker with an air seal and air pressure actuated tool arms.

The Brunette Air Seal Ring Debarker grew in popularity over the years as new features and advancements were added. In the late 1950’s Brunette purchased Webb and Gifford Ltd., a machine shop facility on the New Westminster waterfront, that broadened its manufacturing capacity. Mechanical Engineer Ron Pousette joined his father in 1963 and the business expanded its manufacturing and marketing programs to include chippers, screens, bandmills, auto chip edgers and other equipment. During the 1970’s and 80’s, international licensing agreements led to the manufacture of Brunette Debarkers and other equipment in Carthage, NY; Salem, OR; Tauringa, NZ; and Hammars, Sweden; with additional sales representation in the Southern US, by the Jack Flanders Co. of Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1965, Brunette added a machine shop facility in Prince George, BC to provide service and repairs for the Northern part of the province.

In 1980 a large new facility was opened on the riverfront in New Westminster, BC to house both Brunette and Webb and Gifford. Brunette Machine Works was sold to Per Brunes in 1988, who helped establish Brunette as a leading supplier of chippers, hogs, and debarkers. The company was later renamed Brunette Industries Ltd.

In 2013, Kirk Forbes, with partners, purchased the assets of Brunette Industries Ltd., forming Brunette Machinery Company Inc. Brunette moved its head office staff and operations to a 60,000 SF facility in Surrey, BC. Forbes, formerly the General Manager at Brunette Industries, continued, as President of Brunette Machinery Co., to uphold the company’s commitment to quality, performance, durability and value through the trusted line of Brunette products.

On June 25, 2020, Forbes formally announced that he had concluded the purchase of shares from his business partners and became the sole owner of Brunette Machinery Co. Inc. As the company celebrates over 75 years as a leader in supplying quality equipment to the forestry industry, this move brings Brunette Machinery back to its family roots. Kirk continues as President and CEO to lead the company into the next era while investing in growth, product innovation, customers, and the Brunette team. This transaction strengthens Brunette’s position as a market leader for machinery supply in the North American forestry products and biomass industries.

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