History of Barbo Machinery & Supply

Barbo Machinery was founded in 1922 by A.C. Barbo in Portland, Oregon. The exact location at that time is still unknown but we do know that by 1936 the company occupied a space in downtown Portland at the corner of SW 1st & Pine.

The business was sold in 1944 to Virg Caroland (Mike Mendenhall's grandfather) and then to H.V. Ullberg in 1947 (or 1949).

H.V. Ullberg was an engineer/operator type and needed help with the business administration and marketing and brought in Carl H. Cook as partner in 1952. Ullberg and Cook expanded that year occupying 3-4 times more space depending on which account you read.

By 1958 the business was sold to Al Robinson. It's unclear whether Cook and Ullberg sold to Al or if Cook acquired all of the shares before selling out.

Al Robinson had operated a similar business with a partner in Tacoma and also had experience from the manufacturing side of the industry as a factory rep for Dewalt.

In 1969 the business was moved across the Willamette river to the site of a former auto parts distributor at SE 12th & Division.

Al and his son Rand grew the business together for 35 years. During that time, in 1982, they moved the company to a former muffler shop on SE Milwaukie Ave. Not long after, they added on a warehouse.

Rand took the helm in the early 1980s and continued to grow the business with his son Kevin over the next two decades.

In 2013 the company was acquired by the present owners Michael James & Jim Sharman who continue to carry on Albert Barbo's legacy of service with the sale.