Cahaba Industrial Machine and Supply: A Legacy of Precision and Innovation
By Sheila Duncan
Reporter
Centreville, AL – In the heart of Centreville lies a small business with a big impact. Cahaba Industrial Machine and Supply, established in March 1983, has been a cornerstone of the precision machine parts industry in the Southeast. Now under the ownership of Ruben Pate, the company has grown from its humble beginnings into a modern powerhouse of precision manufacturing.
A Journey Through Time: Ruben Pate’s journey in the industry began in the mid-90s with Burkes Mechanical. “I started my career with Burkes Mechanical and worked my way up, learning various trades throughout the business,” Pate recalls. This extensive experience eventually led him to join forces with his uncle Alvin George and Wayne Tinsley at Cahaba Industrial Machine. Over the years, as Wayne retired and now Alvin retiring, Pate has taken the reins as the sole owner of the company.
Precision at Its Best: Cahaba Industrial Machine was initially established to serve the sawmill industry, focusing on precision machine work with limited capabilities. However, the dedication and expertise of its employees have propelled the company forward. “With the help of our outstanding employees, we now have the most modern machine technology needed to perform almost any precision work,” Pate explains.
Diverse Industry Service: The company primarily serves the forestry, automotive, and equipment manufacturing industries across the Southeast. Additionally, Cahaba Industrial Machine & Supply has a significant presence in the mining and construction industries. This diversity in service highlights the company’s adaptability and broad expertise.
Custom Solutions for Unique Needs: Handling custom orders and unique specifications is a hallmark of Cahaba Industrial Machine’s approach. “Whether we receive hand-drawn parts on a napkin or CAD files, we approach each project the same,” says Pate. The company collaborates closely with clients to ensure parts are manufactured to the correct specifications, guaranteeing quality and precision.
Materials and Innovation: Cahaba Industrial Machine works with a variety of materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze, cast iron, and plastics. They also handle more complex materials like titanium and Inconel. This versatility allows the company to tackle a wide range of projects and challenges.
Pate recounts a recent success story: “We completed a project for a forestry industry client experiencing premature sprocket failure. By manufacturing their assembly of sprockets from a different type of wear-resistant material suggested by a metallurgy resource, we significantly improved their product’s performance.”
Clear Communication and Future Growth: Effective communication is key to Cahaba Industrial Machine’s operations. “No matter the size of the project, we communicate on a personal level to ensure that we produce quality parts in a timely manner,” Pate emphasizes.
Looking to the future, Pate is optimistic about growth and expansion. “We plan to keep pressing forward, treating our customers like they are the only one, and see where this journey takes us,” he says.
Embracing Technology and Innovation: Over the past three years, Cahaba Industrial Machine has made significant investments in new CNC machines, enhancing their capabilities. These investments have allowed for immediate growth and better support for clients.
As the precision machine parts industry evolves, Pate is preparing the company to stay ahead. “Continuous advancements in technology are improving manufacturing equipment with more capabilities, higher production rates, automation, etc. Over the past 10 years, we have gradually increased our manufacturing capabilities by investing in capable machines, software, and personnel – as needed for growth and customer support. These investments, coupled with over 100 years of manufacturing knowledge and experience, have equipped us for our evolving industry.”
A Bright Future: With a strong foundation, a commitment to quality, and a vision for the future, Cahaba Industrial Machine and Supply is poised to continue its legacy of precision and innovation in the small town of Centreville, AL, and beyond.
Alvin George Honored For Dedication to Cahaba Industrial Machine and Supply
Cahaba Industrial Machine was founded in March of 1983 by Alvin George and Wayne Tinsley. Alvin has a machinist degree from Wallace in Selma and worked around through several machine shops over the years. Wayne had a fabrication and welding background, the two of them worked a job together and decided to go out on their own. After about a year or so they decided to let another good friend Billy Fountain buy in, but he died in the late 90’s. As the years went on, I hired in with the agreement to take over when the time came to carry on the business legacy. Wayne eventually retired in 2017 leaving Alvin as the sole owner, So Alvin and I continued to grow the business with the help of our team of guys out in the shop. Alvin finally decided to retire in July of 2024 so now I with the help our guys will carry out this family business. We had a small gathering of family and employees to honor Alvin for all his years and dedication to this company to lay the foundation to make it what it is today. Thank you to all who made this possible and to our brothers and sisters at Four Points Baptist Church for letting us use their facility.
