Over the past 40 years, Quickmill has grown into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of large-scale machining centres, with the company’s slogan “much more than a machine” highlighting the expert sales, engineering, manufacturing, and service teams that work together to supply its customers with the best in industrial machining solutions.
Proudly rooted in Peterborough, the company continues to be guided by its founding principles: delivering high-quality and reliable products, providing exceptional service and support, and creating innovative custom-engineered solutions tailored to each customer’s needs.
While Quickmill machines are sold worldwide, every build begins in Peterborough, inside the company’s familiar light-blue facility at 760 Rye Street. There, a dedicated, knowledgeable, and passionate team designs and assembles gantry-style machines built for demanding, repetitive work across industries including oil and gas, aerospace, mining, defence, and more.
Some of these machines are truly impressive in scale — one of the current builds is 16 feet wide, 40 feet long, and weighs 110,000 pounds — reflecting the precision, expertise, and ambition behind everything Quickmill produces.
“Our machines are as durable as they are versatile,” says Quickmill President and CEO Chad Watson. “They have a well-earned reputation as workhorses and are made to handle big jobs and run for decades.”
Back in 1984, David Piggott founded Quickmill as a machine shop software company. He started exploring the then-emerging field of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, where tools are controlled by computer software to automatically direct movements for precise cutting, drilling, milling, and other tasks. Enabling high accuracy and complex designs, CNC machines have since revolutionized manufacturing by replacing labour-intensive manual operation, improving accuracy and consistency, reducing waste, and boosting efficiency across industries.
Piggott designed and manufactured Quickmill’s first CNC machine to drill thick steel plates used in oil and gas heat exchangers, a process that required industry workers to manually drill millions of holes every year. That first heavy-duty large table gantry drilling machine, now trademarked as The Intimidator, was built for in-house use in 1986. The following year, Quickmill sold its first machine to a customer.
Since then, Quickmill’s CNC machines have grown larger and become more complex. Now, 440 machines later, they are used to perform increasingly complex milling, drilling, and cutting tasks. They are equipped with multiple axis, spindles, built-in tool changers, and friction stir welding capabilities.
In 2007, Quickmill was acquired by India-based engineering firm Batliboi Ltd, which has an extensive portfolio of machining, textile equipment, industrial ventilation, humidity control, and air conditioning. The acquisition gave Quickmill support for expansion with a new international reach.
Since the acquisition, all operations, design, and leadership have remained in Peterborough — and all under one roof unlike many other CNC machine manufacturers. Quickmill employs workers in manufacturing, service, engineering, and finance, with 84 per cent of current 50 employees having worked at the company more than five years and 16 per cent having worked there for more than 15 years.
That includes Watson, a long-time Quickmill employee who was appointed CEO this past November. Celebrating 30 years of service in 2026, he is an example of the career growth that’s fostered at the company.
“I’ve grown up at Quickmill, starting as a labourer and working my way up to technician, team leader, production manager, and operations manager,” says Watson. “We’ve got some incredibly talented people here, designing and building some of the best equipment in the world. It is such an honour to now serve as the CEO and guide the company into its next chapter.”
Watson attributes Quickmill’s four decades of growth and success to the founding principles.
“The commitment to quality, service, and value is reflected across the whole operation, from the careful design and engineering to unparalleled repair support by people that know the machines inside and out,” he says.
The end result is a product with a prolonged lifespan that clients can depend on. In fact, some machining centres built in the 1980s and 1990s are still in operation today.
“We have a lot of repeat customers, but they are rarely replacing machines that have worn out,” says Lee Brown, Quickmill’s Sales Director. “They come back because their business has grown and they want another machine to handle that growth.”
Quickmill’s certification as a Fanuc Authorized CNC Integrator means its customers can be assured that the company’s employees have the training, experience, and technical capability to deliver reliable Fanuc-based control systems.
“We are proud to work with Fanuc America to implement best-in-class practices for CNC programming in our machines,” says Watson.
Unlike many large machine manufacturers, Quickmill has a dedicated service travel team, so customers aren’t required to get support from distributors or third-party agents. The 12 highly skilled technicians travel around the world to install new machines, perform service, and deliver comprehensive preventative maintenance.
If a machine goes down, those same technicians who built it will be dispatched from Peterborough, often within just 48 hours. Quickmill also has an India-based service technician who can support customers in India, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.
“If we get a call on a Friday, our technicians can be on their way to Edmonton, Oklahoma, or Mexico City on Monday morning, but we are often able to support the repair remotely over the phone or by sending replacement parts,” says Quickmill’s Operations Manager Dave Strain. “Our machines rarely go down, but if there ever is a problem, we get customers back up and running before it can affect their operations.”
With Quickmill’s annual and semi-annual maintenance and detailed inspection reports, customers can trust that their machines are always maintaining optimal performance. From a partial upgrade to a full machine overhaul, they can also retrofit obsolete controls and replace aging components to modernize the processes.
Quickmill’s large on-site inventory of spare and replacement parts also ensures customers get their machines repaired fast, which is critical for just-in-time manufacturing.
“For our customers, downtime is unacceptable,” Strain notes. “If their machine can’t make the part, their manufacturing process is paused, they can’t generate revenues, and they’re not meeting their obligation to their customers. Minimizing downtime and maximizing the time in production are our biggest priorities.”
VIDEO: Quickmill Gantry Machining Centres
Quickmill maintains a stock that includes frequently purchased models, but the company recognizes that customers often require novel and flexible solutions. Custom designs are tailored for a specific part or a tight space on a factory floor, adding features that streamline production, reduce handling, eliminate wasted steps, and save time.
Quickmill has a reputation for designs and technologies that push beyond conventional machining limits and expectations.
“Customers approach us with an advanced application, machining problem, or concept that doesn’t have an off-the-shelf solution,” says Rob McArthur, Quickmill’s Engineering Manager. “We give them a solution, leveraging our advanced machine technology, deep application knowledge, and innovative engineers.”
McArthur adds he is especially excited about the next generation of Quickmill machines that could integrate additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing), AI-assisted process control, and friction stir welding.
Quickmill’s innovation, growth, and expansion are proof that Canadian manufacturing can thrive even in a globally competitive and sometimes volatile market. As the company’s “much more than a machine” slogan implies, one of Quickmill’s strengths lies in its people — the designers, engineers, and service professionals who stand behind the company’s expertly crafted machines.
To learn more about Quickmill, visit quickmill.com.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Quickmill. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
