In 1888, Wisconsin’s pine forests were still vast and largely untouched. Towns were growing, sawmills were multiplying, and lumber was essential to building homes and communities across the country. Eau Claire had the rivers and the timber. What it needed was dependable equipment to turn those logs into usable lumber.
That is where McDonough Manufacturing Company began.
The company was founded in 1888 by Frank McDonough Sr., an engineer with a strong reputation and deep connections in the sawmill industry. From the start, the goal was not simply to sell machinery; it was to build equipment that worked in real mill conditions and to earn the trust of the people who relied on it every day.
Frank McDonough Sr.
1922: A Turning Point
By the early 1920s, the company faced serious financial challenges. In 1922, John M. Kildahl came in with a very different assignment than building new machines. His task was to liquidate the company.
John was Sue Tietz’s grandfather.
Instead of shutting the doors, he chose to fight for the business. He reduced overhead, halted unprofitable ventures, and returned the focus to the core equipment that customers depended on. During the Great Depression, when times were at their toughest, he worked outside accounting jobs and contributed a portion of his earnings back to McDonough while his salary went unpaid.
That decision set the tone for generations to come. The company would not walk away when things got difficult - it would regroup, tighten up, and protect the trust it had built.
The Next Generation Steps In
In the mid 1930s, John’s sons, Jack and Fred Kildahl, came on board. Jack was Sue’s father and Matt’s grandfather. They grew up inside the company, learning it from the shop floor up.
Under their leadership, McDonough continued refining its band mills and resaws and strengthening its reputation for durability and practical design. The company did not chase trends, rather it improved what worked and listened to mill owners.
In 1966, Sue began working full time at McDonough after graduating from high school. At the same time, she started college, putting in her working hours after classes on weekdays and weekends. She learned the business hands on, not from a distance. That early involvement shaped how she would later lead.
When Sue’s father, Jack, passed away in 1990, Sue and her sister became owners of the company. Five years later, in 1995, Sue negotiated sole ownership, continuing the family’s stewardship of the business.
Through every transition, the priority remained the same: protect the company’s integrity and serve customers responsibly.
Learning From the Shop Floor
In 1995, Matt Tietz graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Before stepping into leadership, he started in the shop. He worked in the assembly area, gaining first hand understanding of the equipment and the people building it. After putting in that time, he moved into the office and became Vice President of Sales.
That progression was intentional. Leadership at McDonoughhas never been about titles first. It has been about understanding the product, respecting the workforce, and earning the confidence of customers. Today, Matt continues that generational responsibility, guiding the company with the same long term mindset that began in 1888.
Matt and Sue Tietz at the facility in Eau Claire.
Growing Carefully, Serving Better
Over more than a century, McDonough has seen economic swings, industry downturns, and market shifts. In 2008, when new orders declined sharply, the company worked hard to maintain stability. Difficult decisions were made, but the focus remained on continuity and protecting the company’s future.
In 2017, McDonough expanded into Canada, opening a manufacturing facility in New Brunswick to increase capacity and better serve customers. In 2023, the company strengthened that presence by acquiring BID Canada Ltd. and relocating Canadian operations to Woodstock, New Brunswick.
The expansion was not about growth for its own sake. It was about serving customers more completely by integrating bulk material handling with McDonough’s long standing expertise in sawmill machinery.
VP Hugh Hawley and Owner Matt Tietz upon acquiring BID Canada.
What Has Stayed the Same
When you look at the timeline, it is easy to see more than dates and names.
- 1888: Founded by Frank McDonough Sr.
- 1922: John Kildahl arrives to liquidate, and instead rebuilds
- Mid 1930s: Jack and Fred Kildahl step in
- 1966: Sue begins working full time while attending college
- 1990: Sue and her sister become owners
- 1995: Sue negotiates sole ownership
- 1995: Matt starts in the shop and later becomes VP of Sales
What stands out is continuity. Each generation stepped induring moments that mattered. Each one protected the company’s reputation and strengthened its foundation.
Putting customers first has never been a slogan at McDonough. It has meant building equipment that performs in demanding environments, and managing the business responsibly so it remains stable and dependable. And it has also meant passing leadership from one generation to the next with the understanding that trust takes decades to earn and only moments to lose.
From Frank McDonough to John and Jack Kildahl to Sue and now Matt Tietz, the story has remained remarkably consistent.
Build it well.
Stand behind it.
Be here for the long haul.
And after more than 137 years, that commitment still guides everything we do.
