OESCO, Inc.
OESCO Inc. (also known as Orchard Equipment & Supply Company) is located on the banks of the South River. OESCO is just west of the center of the town. You are welcome to stop and visit us when you are in the area. Orchard Equipment and Supply was founded by Norman and Thelma French in Burlington, Connecticut. In 1966, Norman passed an empty mill building in Conway, MA by chance. By 1967, the company had expanded into their new facility. Under the leadership of their son and President of OESCO, Inc., Russell French, the company has grown to include 26 employees, with customers throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations , manufacturers
- Business Type:
- Distributor
- Industry Type:
- Agriculture
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
- Year Founded:
- 1954
- Employees:
- 11-100
- Turnover:
- $1,000,000 US - $10,000,000 US
About Us
OESCO has been in continuous operation since 1954, supplying growers, gardeners and green industry professionals with professional grade machinery, tools, parts and service.
Since 1967 we have been located in Conway, Massachusetts. From the first 2 to 26 people today, our commitment to old fashioned customer service has remained the key to our success. We take the time to know the industry and research the products before we offer them to you. We listen to your suggestions and care about your opinions. When mistakes occur, we do our best to make things right. We value your loyalty and your business.
We have an active hand on the pulse of the green industry with memberships in more than 20 trade organizations as diverse as The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, Massachusetts Fruit Grower's Association, The New York Horticultural Society and nursery and landscape associations in New England and New York. OESCO reaches customers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East. We have the capabilities to ship our equipment wherever you need it to be.
Our search for new and innovative products includes Italian manufacturers of flow meters, all-terrain grass and brush mowers, transporters and dumpers by Bertolini, and the reliable Goldoni Transcars and multicultivators. We continue to expand the forestry products manufactured by Tajfun in Slovenija. Our dependable, tried-and-true US vendors continue to bring great new products to the marketplace.
OESCO is committed to our customers with our friendly service, broad knowledge of our industry, and timely, efficient deliveries, with a dependable, skilled technical service department. We are an unusual company, offering a fair point of sale, before and after sale service, and repair. We have thousands of whole goods and parts in stock and are ready to help you, our valued customer. If you have purchased from us before, we sincerely thank you for your business and trust. If you are new to OESCO, welcome!
From the start, Orchard Equipment and Supply improved on the quality of well made machinery. As the original Palmer Brothers wood framed presses changed style, Orchard introduced the stainless steel Sanifeed Deluxe press. This press, designed, engineered and built by the French family, and still manufactured by OESCO, is considered one of the best rack and cloth cider presses available in the United States. The purchase of the Cardox air blast sprayer company expanded the business from a seasonal to a year-round operation. A new facility was needed to manufacture and assemble components and a search began for a building.
In 1967 the French family, Norm, Thelma and their three children, Russell, Jo-Ann and Donna moved to Conway, Massachusetts, relocating the business to the former Conway Manufacturing Company building. The entire company, five full- and part-time workers and owners, moved to the Conway area. A newspaper article from the time describes the event:
'A welder by trade, French started his business as an equipment repairman, later branching out as a manufacturer. The Orchard line has grown from a few basic products for the fruit grower to a complete line available from a single source.'
Thelma acted as office manager, Norm as sales manger and designer. The company soon became a major manufacturer in the town and is still Conway's largest employer. Russell French became more involved with the company after the move. Listed in the article as 'shop manager and expediter,' Russ moved his already established contracting business to Conway, working both businesses until joining OESCO full time.
Orchard then took on the John Bean, Rears and AgTec lines of sprayers and set the tone for its commitment to quality tools and equipment for industry professionals. They now carry nearly 200 brands which are available by mail order, online and at the Conway location where in 2002 a showroom was added. Through creative invention, product refinement and acquisition Orchard Equipment and Supply Company has grown steadily into a full service green industry supplier and was incorporated as OESCO, Inc. in 1996. The company now employs 22 full time workers who manufacture, sell and ship products nation wide.
In the beginning, product development was guided by a careful analysis of the fruit growing business. The dwindling number of orchards caused OESCO to adapt their mission to supply and serve all growers, and then the entire green industry, with the focus on trade professionals. OESCO continuously evaluates their product lines and are constantly exploring new lines and processes to maintain industry standards. When Gypsy Moths infested trees in the northeast in late 70s, OESCO used their knowledge of crop spraying technology to provide commercial spray equipment to fight the epidemic. Their reputation among landscapers, nursery growers and grounds keepers as a reliable source for tools, machinery and unparalleled expertise grew steadily.
Russ French is on the premises daily overseeing operations as President of OESCO, Inc. Though co-founder Thelma French passed away in 2005, Norm works in the office a few hours each day. In 1998 he was awarded an Award Of Merit from the Connecticut Pomological Society for his contribution to the industry with his work in spraying technology.
OESCO continues to supply professionals with what they need to conduct the day to day business of the green industry. You can find them at nearly every industry trade show in the northeast and the annual catalog is available by phone or online. Our catalog is stocked with products of superior quality that consistently meet the demands of professionals around the country. It has thousands of items, in full color, from hand tools to machinery, sprayers and spraying components, orchard, nursery, forestry and woodlot tools and equipment. Take your pick!