Sell Your Machine Shop in California
Who is buying machine shops in California
Named machine shop acquisitions we have recorded in California
- JCM Engineering, acquired by High Tech Solutions / BTX Precision (L Squared Capital Partners)Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Sep 2026 · Ontario, CA · Source ↗
- A&B Aerospace, acquired by PMGC Holdings (Nasdaq: ELAB)Public-company buyer · Announced May 2026 · Azusa, CA · Source ↗
- Precision Aircraft Machining Company (PAMCO), acquired by Avem PartnersPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Closed Apr 2026 · Sun Valley, CA · Source ↗
- Kettmann Machining, acquired by GCM (Avista Healthcare Partners)Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Feb 2026 · San Jose, CA · Source ↗
- SVM Machining, acquired by PMGC Holdings (Nasdaq: ELAB)Public-company buyer · Closed Feb 2026 · Newark, CA · Source ↗
- Advanced Precision Machining, acquired by Pro-Dex (Nasdaq: PDEX)Public-company buyer · Closed Feb 2026 · Costa Mesa, CA · Source ↗
- J&F Machine, acquired by Threadlock Precision (D. E. Shaw group)Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Oct 2025 · Cypress, CA · Source ↗
- AGA Precision Systems, acquired by PMGC Holdings (Nasdaq: ELAB)Public-company buyer · Closed Jul 2025 · California · Source ↗
- FMI Aerostructures, acquired by Avem PartnersPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Closed Apr 2025 · Valencia, CA · Source ↗
- Vanderhorst Brothers Industries, acquired by RTC Aerospace (Stellex Capital Management)Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Jan 2024 · Simi Valley, CA · Source ↗
Headquartered in California: PMGC Holdings (Newport Beach, CA), GCM (Union City, CA) and Tide Rock (Solana Beach, CA).
| Platform | Owner / backer | Type | Headquarters | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novaria Group | Arcline Investment Management (definitive agreement to buy from KKR announced Nov 10, 2025) | Private equity | Fort Worth, TX | Over 1,600 employees across the U.S.; 13 add-on acquisitions since KKR invested in 2020 | Source ↗ |
| Precinmac | Centerbridge Partners | Private equity | South Paris, ME | Fifteen companies; over 535 CNC machines (Precinmac homepage) | Source ↗ |
| BTX Precision | L Squared Capital Partners (single-asset continuation fund led by HarbourVest Partners, closed Apr 2026, with a new L Squared Fund IV commitment) | Private equity | Elk Grove Village, IL | Platform acquisition in 2023 plus ten subsequent acquisitions; more than 350 customers (L Squared, Apr 2026) | Source ↗ |
| Compass Precision | Main Street Capital Holdings, LLC | Private equity | Charlotte, NC | 11 manufacturing facilities across the US | Source ↗ |
| Threadlock Precision | The D. E. Shaw group | Private equity | New York, NY | Three acquisitions as of Feb 2026 | Source ↗ |
| PrecisionX Group | Windjammer Capital (bought from CORE Industrial Partners, Apr 2026) | Private equity | Waterbury, CT | Seven facilities; approximately 400,000 square feet | Source ↗ |
| RTC Aerospace | Stellex Capital Management | Private equity | Fife, WA | Operations in Chatsworth, CA; Simi Valley, CA; Rockford, MI; and Fife, WA, plus Automatic Products' Sumner, WA plant | Source ↗ |
| Alinabal Group | Akoya Capital (2022 buyout with Thayer Bancroft and PNC Mezzanine Capital) | Private equity | Milford, CT | Six manufacturing facilities across Connecticut, South Carolina, and Massachusetts | Source ↗ |
| Excelus Holdings | Sky Peak Capital | Private equity | Rochester, NY | More than 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space and over 200 employees | Source ↗ |
| Talon Precision | Private investors ($75 million of initial equity; no named sponsor) | Private equity | Milford, CT | Not disclosed | Source ↗ |
| PMGC Holdings | Publicly traded (Nasdaq: ELAB) | Strategic / public | Newport Beach, CA | A&B Aerospace (May 2026) was its 'fifth acquisition in the past twelve months' | Source ↗ |
| GCM | Avista Healthcare Partners | Private equity | Union City, CA | Union City, CA headquarters plus facilities in Chicago, Atlanta and Wilmington, NC, and Kettmann's San Jose, CA plant | Source ↗ |
| Schneider Elite Machining Group | Schneider Resources Holding (family-owned private investment firm) | Private equity | Green Bay, WI | Three Wisconsin companies: JR Machine (Shawano), ETW Precision Machining (Waukesha), Toolcraft Precision Machining (Germantown) | Source ↗ |
| Avem Partners aerospace platform (FMI Aerostructures, PAMCO) | Avem Partners, with capital from True West Capital Partners and family offices | Private equity | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Source ↗ |
| Tide Rock | Tide Rock (unlevered buyout firm) | Private equity | Solana Beach, CA | Two precision machining platforms (Anaheim, CA and Buda, TX) | Source ↗ |
| KKSP Precision Machining | Red Arts Capital | Private equity | Glendale Heights, IL | Five locations (IL, WI, MI, OH, and Mexico) | Source ↗ |
| Prince Industries | HC Private Investments | Private equity | Carol Stream, IL | Not disclosed | Source ↗ |
| Lampin Corporation | Its employees (100% employee-owned) | Employee-owned (ESOP) | Uxbridge, MA | Not disclosed | Source ↗ |
Ownership verified October 6, 2026. See every platform's recent deals in the Machine roll-up tracker →
How many machine shops are in California
The Census Bureau counted 2,221 machine shops in California in 2023, the most of any state. 48% had fewer than five employees and 84% had fewer than 20. 102 had 50 or more.
| Employees | Establishments | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 | 1,057 | 48% |
| 5 to 9 | 492 | 22% |
| 10 to 19 | 325 | 15% |
| 20 to 49 | 245 | 11% |
| 50 or more | 102 | 5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 ↗ (NAICS 332710). An establishment is a single physical location, so an owner with three locations counts three times.
What a machine shop in California is worth
Machine shops typically sell for 5x-9x EBITDA, or 3x-6x SDE for smaller owner-operated machine shops, with most deals in the $1M - $20M range. These are industry-wide benchmarks, reviewed July 2026, not an appraisal of your shop.
What buyers pay more for
- +Aerospace/defense certifications
- +Modern CNC equipment
- +Long-term contracts
- +Skilled workforce
What buyers discount
- -Outdated equipment
- -Customer concentration
- -Lack of certifications
- -Owner as primary machinist
How selling through DealSeam works
A confidential conversation
We learn about your shop and what you want from a sale. Nothing is listed publicly.
Introductions where there is a fit
Where a qualified buyer fits your shop, we introduce you, and only after you approve it.
You decide
You choose whether to go further, on your own timeline. Sellers pay nothing; the buyer pays our fee if a deal closes.
Selling a machine shop in California: common questions
How much is a machine shop in California worth?
Machine shops typically sell for 5x-9x EBITDA, or 3x-6x SDE for smaller owner-operated machine shops, with most deals in the $1M - $20M range. Buyers tend to pay more for aerospace/defense certifications, modern cnc equipment, long-term contracts and skilled workforce, and less where they see outdated equipment, customer concentration, lack of certifications and owner as primary machinist. These are industry-wide ranges, not an appraisal of your shop.
Who is buying machine shops in California?
Recent named deals in California include JCM Engineering (acquired by High Tech Solutions / BTX Precision, Sep 2026), A&B Aerospace (acquired by PMGC Holdings, May 2026) and Precision Aircraft Machining Company (acquired by Avem Partners, Apr 2026). Nationally, the largest groups consolidating machine shops include Novaria Group (Arcline Investment Management), Precinmac (Centerbridge Partners) and BTX Precision (L Squared Capital Partners); 16 of the 18 platforms we track are private-equity-backed.
How many machine shops are there in California?
The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 2,221 machine shops in California in 2023, the most of any state. 48% had fewer than five employees, 84% had fewer than 20, and 102 had 50 or more.
Does it cost anything to sell through DealSeam?
No. Sellers pay nothing. When a deal closes, the buyer pays DealSeam's fee. There is no listing fee and no retainer.
Will my employees or customers find out I'm thinking about selling?
No. Nothing is listed publicly, and your details go to a buyer only after you approve that introduction.
Selling another kind of business in California?
Selling a machine shop in another state?
Thinking about selling your machine shop?
DealSeam works confidentially with owners to understand their options and, where there's a fit, introduces them to qualified buyers, at no cost to sellers.
Talk to us about your California shop
Tell us how to reach you and we'll start a confidential, no-obligation conversation.
Sources
Valuation multiples are DealSeam's industry benchmarks, reviewed July 2026. Establishment counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 332710). Platform ownership comes from each platform's own or press sources, verified October 6, 2026. Named acquisitions are the deals we have recorded from public announcements, each linked to its source; they are not every deal in the state. Ownership in this sector changes often. None of this is investment, legal or tax advice.