MFM Building Products, a manufacturer of a full envelope of waterproofing and weather barrier products for the building industry, has recently announced a substantial Expansion Project for 2021. This coincides with the company’s 60th Anniversary being celebrated in 2021. The company hosted a Groundbreaking Ceremony for local dignitaries and media on March 19.

The thrust of the Expansion Project is adding close to 50,000 square feet to the production area and the acquisition of new production equipment to meet the rising demand for orders. MFM has been acquiring additional raw materials to ensure product availability for their customer base and this new facility will accommodate this additional inventory. The building is planned to be completed by the fall of 2021, and the new production equipment to be installed and operational by early 2022.

Other aspects of the Expansion Project include razing a building on the company property, constructing new offices in the main headquarters building, and the addition of a new, state-of-the-art Research & Development laboratory for increased quality control and new product development. In total, the company expects to hire an additional 20 full-time employees as part of the Expansion Project.

According to Tony Reis, President, “The Expansion Project is the result of continued company growth and the company’s commitment to meeting the needs of our customers today and in the future. With this investment, we hope to introduce new waterproofing projects to our portfolio of existing waterproofing membranes. As an ESOP company, there is a lot of excitement among our employees as MFM continues to grow.”

LafargeHolcim announces that its Holcim Participations (US) Inc. subsidiary has successfully completed the acquisition of Firestone Building Products, following all regulatory approvals. The transaction closed earlier than expected due to smooth collaboration with Bridgestone and all 1,900 employees will be joining LafargeHolcim.

Jan Jenisch, LafargeHolcim CEO: “I warmly welcome the Firestone Building Products team into the LafargeHolcim family. Together, we will lead this iconic company’s next era of growth to become the global leader in flat roofing systems.

"I am excited about the strong growth prospects, accelerated by the many opportunities from President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ plan," Jenisch continued. "With its roofing systems, Firestone Building Products makes us a partner of choice from rooftop to foundation. This truly is a milestone for LafargeHolcim as we become the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions.”

Taylor Cole, Firestone Building Products President: “Today opens an exciting new era in Firestone Building Products’ rich history. The Firestone Building Products team is thrilled to join the LafargeHolcim family. Together, we are in a prime position to accelerate our growth by combining Firestone Building Products’ advanced technologies and know-how with LafargeHolcim’s global scale and reach.”

Milwaukee Tool will, once again, expand its footprint in the United States with the announcement of a new manufacturing facility in Grenada, Miss. Anticipated to open in late 2022, this new facility will accommodate increased capacity for the company’s growing power tool accessories and power tool business. With this facility, Milwaukee has committed to creating 1,200 jobs in the region.

“Our new Grenada facility, as well as our ongoing investments in U.S. operations and manufacturing, will allow us to continue to serve our distribution partners and users with the speed, agility, and unparalleled levels of innovation that they’ve come to expect from Milwaukee Tool,” said Steve Richman, Milwaukee Tool Group president. “We’re thrilled to continue expanding our presence in Mississippi, where we have been fortunate to attract, retain, and recruit some of the best talent in the country. The bookends to our success continue to be our people and our culture.”

Milwaukee will invest $60 million in advanced technology and manufacturing equipment to support the operation of their new 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Grenada. During the last decade, the company has grown their employee headcount in the state from 526 in 2010, to more than 2,343 in 2020. Of the 1,200 overall jobs Milwaukee will bring into the region, 800 of these jobs will reside in the new Grenada facility, and the remaining 400 will reside across their existing MS locations.

More About Milwaukee’s Growth & U.S. Investments

Milwaukee has designed, engineered, and manufactured products in the United States since 1924 and is dedicated to driving growth and creating jobs in the U.S.

“Throughout the last decade, Milwaukee Tool has experienced rapid growth across the globe, with sales growing more than 20 percent each year. Amid this growth, we’re going to continue aggressively investing in our product development, and diversifying our manufacturing base through expansion projects in the United States,” said Joe Galli, CEO at Techtronic Industries.

In the last five years alone, Milwaukee has invested $368 million in domestic expansion projects and now employs 5,500 people in the U.S.

Currently, the company has manufacturing, distribution, and operations presences around the nation in Greenwood, Olive Branch, and Jackson, Miss., as well as in Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Mukwonago, and Sun Prairie, Wis., and Greenwood, Ind. Earlier in 2020, the company also announced their plans for a new hand tool manufacturing plant in West Bend, Wis., which is anticipated to open in 2022.

U.S. manufacturing has been, and will continue to be, a critical part of the company’s global footprint.

Makita U.S.A. Inc. held a ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday to launch construction of a new 600,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility northeast of Atlanta in Hall County, Ga. The new facility will be constructed on 80 acres of land and is part of Makita's planned future development to address continuing growth in the United States.

"Makita begins a new phase of expansion with the construction of another new facility," said Joe Blackwell, senior vice president operations, Makita U.S.A. "This is part of our continuing growth here in the U.S.A., and this new facility will further increase our operations, service, and training capabilities. This means expanded service and support for our customers, while creating more jobs in the region."

The new state-of-the-art facility will serve as a distribution center, and will also include a sales and training center, customer service resources, and a Factory Service Center. The location has adjacent space for future expansion up to 800,000 square feet.

The groundbreaking marks another milestone in Makita's significant investment in the U.S.A. Construction of the Atlanta-area facility follows the August 2020 opening of a new distribution, training and service facility in Reno, Nev., and the 2017 opening of a similar facility in Wilmer, Texas. Makita's distribution chain also includes operations in Mt. Prospect, Ill., Buford, Ga., and La Mirada, Calif. Additionally, the manufacturing and assembly plant in Buford is one of ten Makita manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Makita representatives at the groundbreaking ceremony were joined by the project's construction and development executives, as well as the Mayor. Attendees included Ian MacDonald, Scannell Properties; Liz O'Connor, Evans General Contractors; Mike Dimond, Evans General Contractors; Mike Miller, Mayor; Sandra Silva, Makita U.S.A.; Joe Blackwell, Makita U.S.A. Jeff Couch, Makita U.S.A.; Don Tuttle, Scannell Properties; Chris Hilgeman, Evans General Contractors; Jason Dooley, Ware Malcomb.

This year the SMA will be adding two educational classes to go beyond the LIVE floor show. These classes are essentially part of the “new” SMA Training/Certification Program that was launched in 2020 and getting rave reviews from the industry. Certification and Education is the key to doing the work correctly and promoting stucco and your products.

Courses:

Lather Training for Cement Stucco

Presented by Stucco Manufacturers Association.

Course Code: SMAWE

Date/Time: Wed, June 9 • 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Location: LVCC North Hall

NEW for WOC 2021! This session will cover lath materials, tools and Installation of lath for cement stucco. Attendees will learn what to look for to approve the substrate and ensure flashing is in place with proper blocking. Enhanced techniques on applying building paper, lath and trim accessories will also be addressed in addition to methods of moisture drainage, rainscreen and continuous insulation. Class discussions enhanced with numerous pictures and videos will cover codes and standards and WHY certain practices should be followed.

Registration Fee: $100

Plaster Training for Cement Stucco

Presented by Stucco Manufacturers Association.

Course Code: SMATH

Date/Time: Thurs, June 10 • 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Location: LVCC North Hall

NEW for WOC 2021! This session will cover plaster materials, mixing, ratios, identifying quality sand, and safety tips. Application of plaster by hand tool and machine will be covered with best practices for making walls straight and improving water-resistance. Crack reduction will also be covered, as well as in-depth review of smooth trowel plaster techniques, fog coating and patching—all discussions incorporated with pictures and multiple videos to enhance the learning experience.

Registration Fee: $100

L&W Supply Corp. announced that it has acquired the assets of Starr’s Building Supply Inc., located at 1421 Cannon Street in Sacramento, Calif.

By acquiring SBS, L&W Supply will increase its team of experienced associates and strengthen its presence in the greater Sacramento market. It will become L&W Supply’s second location in the area and 17th in California.

Founded in 1985, SBS started as a stucco distributor but has grown to service residential and commercial markets with products including wallboard, steel framing, insulation and related products.

“We are excited to welcome the Starr’s Building Supply associates to the L&W Supply family. Over the past 35 years, the SBS team has built strong relationships with contractors in the greater Sacramento area,” said Chad Cutlip, vice president of L&W Supply’s West Region. “We look forward to continuing to support their contractor customers. This acquisition improves our ability to service the Sacramento market and will allow us to strengthen our relationships with area contractors.”

For a third straight year, AD has been recognized as a Top Workplace in the greater Philadelphia region based on feedback from its annual employee engagement survey. The anonymous survey uniquely measures drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any organization, including how well employees are aligned with company goals and objectives, feel they belong and are valued, get support and attention from their manager, and believe the organization operates effectively. AD partners with employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC to administer the survey.

This distinction is deeply meaningful, and even more so in a pandemic year that brought added stresses, uncertainty and distance between us,” said AD’s Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg. “Achieving three straight years of this award is only possible because our executive committee, leadership team, HR team, managers, associates, and Great Place to Work Committee are all dedicated to constantly improving and learning from one another.”

Weisberg points to The AD Way as a major driver of the company’s award-winning culture.

“Practicing our 34 fundamentals, the foundational behaviors that guide our interactions, creates a healthy environment that allows us to attract and retain amazing talent, and deliver unparalleled service to the organization’s community of members and supplier partners,” Weisberg said. “Our associates put in the extra effort.”

Senior Vice President Neil Cohen, who leads AD’s HR effort, said, “This award is special because it’s based purely on our associates’ feedback. It’s a strong signal that they are engaged, willing to share their perspectives, and have skin in the game to help us celebrate our strengths and make continuous improvements.”

Energage CEO Eric Rubino shared his thoughts on the value of the feedback. "When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business."

Don Kudlak, president, Aerosmith Fastening Systems, of Indianapolis, will be the featured Associate Speaker during the General Session for the 45th Annual Convention & Trade Show of the Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association, October 24-26, in Orlando, Fla.

Speaking on Monday, October 25, Kudlak is a fastening industry professional with more than 30 years of experience. He began his career in 1983 introducing builders, tradesmen, and industrial fabricators to the benefits of using pneumatic nailers, staplers, and finishing tools over traditional hammer and nail technology.

After building that business in Florida for 12 years, he was recruited by ITW to head up a division of their construction products group working with national customers like WW Grainger, MSC Industrial, Fastenal, and others. As the division was restructured after five years, Kudlak was referred to one of ITW’s OEM accounts, Aerosmith Fastening Systems, to be their national sales manager. That was in 2005 and Kudlak is now the company’s President and minority owner.

Aerosmith is a specialty fastener company that has grown 500 percent since 2005 supplying commercial contractors and industrial fabricators unique fasteners to attach a variety of products to steel and concrete. They also supply the RV, Cargo, and Utility trailer manufacturers and have built professional alliances with contractor supply distributors that make up trade organizations such as STAFDA.

Kudlak has been awarded one patent and has one patent pending. As Director of Product Development during his tenure at Aerosmith, he developed four industry changing fasteners and built Aerosmith into a multi-dimensional supplier that has scaled to exporting. Aerosmith has distributors based in Australia, Germany, Canada, and the U.K.

Aerosmith recently expanded into the mechanical and adhesive anchoring marketplace and in less than three years, one of which being 2020, has managed to produce annual revenue of over $2 million domestically.

Registration for STAFDA’s 45th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Orlando opens on Monday, June 28, at 8:00 a.m. Central from the members-only section of www.stafda.org. You must be a member to attend.