Howard Bushman founded Bushman Equipment in Chicago in 1950. The company quickly established a reputation for the design and manufacture of rugged, heavy-duty overhead crane attachments and below-the-hook lifting equipment. In 1993, Bushman acquired the proprietary clutch line of Flaton Machine Works, Inc. Bushman acquired West Bend Equipment Company in 2000. West Bend manufactured custom-designed, heavy duty material handling equipment including load inverters, mechanical and hydraulic upenders, coil mounting systems, lift tables, and die and mold handling equipment. In 2006, Avon Engineering, Ltd. of Waterdown, Ontario, became part of Bushman Equipment. The two companies have strong engineering capabilities and extensive experience in steel, steel processing, paper and heavy manufacturing. In 2012 Bushman Equipment, Inc was acquired by Xtek, Inc of Cincinnati, OH.