While working at the Expedition, Odhner started his own workshop in 1885,[1] building high quality production machines for local manufacturing businesses.

One of his biggest project was the manufacturing of printing presses, he also made cigarette-making machines and all kind of scientific instruments.

Early on, Mr. F. N. Hill, a British citizen, became his associate but he left the company around 1897, making Odhner the sole proprietor until his death in 1905.

After Odhner's death, his sons Alexander and Georg and son-in-law Karl Siewert continued the production and about 23,000 calculators were made before the factory was forced to close down in 1918.

W. T. Odhner died of a heart attack on 15 September 1905 (Gregorian calendar) in Saint Petersburg, Russia.