Clyde Machines, Inc., a Minnesota C Corporation established in 1961, is wholly owned with the majority of the stock held by family members. Company founder, Clyde W. Olson, was born in 1918 in Minnesota. He then moved to North Dakota where he grew up on his fathers farm.

In 1949, Clyde and a partner formed the True-Aire Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota where they manufactured tractor skis and bale stackers. In 1959, he was employed by the Melroe Corporation (Bobcat) in Gwinner, North Dakota as head of their engineering and design department. After leaving Gwinner in 1961, he settled in Glenwood, Minnesota to start Clyde Machines, Inc.