MANSFIELD — Mansfield Engineered Components (MEC) announced Friday it has entered a strategic partnership with The Sabaf Group, a world leader in the design and production of components for major appliance markets.
MEC is a global leader in motion control design features, specializing in soft-close mechanisms for kitchen and laundry appliances. It employs more than 200 people at its Harrington Memorial Road factory.
The Sabaf Group, based in Ospitaletto, Italy, will acquire 51 percent ownership of Mansfield Engineered Components. The partnership will position both companies to become world leaders of appliance hinges, the business stated.
“We are thrilled about this alliance and the opportunities for growth it presents,” Mansfield Engineered Components CEO Bruce Cummins said. “We can’t imagine a better fit, with the many collaborative synergies this partnership provides.
“The unification of our teams ensures a bright future here in Mansfield.”
MEC will continue to operate in its existing facilities in Mansfield with its current management and existing employee base.
Cummins said the two companies will remain separate entities with their own employee and manufacturing bases, but they will be able to collaborate to source materials and fulfill orders quicker.
“Our customers requested that their suppliers have a more global footprint, so this gives us a real opportunity for growth to keep up with world markets,” he said.
The Sabaf Group’s recent acquisitions include manufacturers of dishwasher and cooking appliance hinges, while MEC is focused on refrigerators and laundry appliances.
“So our product lines are very complementary and we’ll be able to leverage the Sabaf Group’s sales force in foreign markets,” Cummins said. “This alliance is positioning ourselves for growth and will make us a stronger company.
“We’re in two different countries and different cultures, but our work cultures are very similar. We each have a sincere desire to please our customers, our suppliers and our employees.”
Pietro Iotti, CEO of The Sabaf Group, said his company is taking strategic steps to grow its partnerships in the U.S.
“Sabaf takes a very important step towards its growth in the USA, assuming global leadership in the design and production of hinges, a specific component that will always be present in household appliances,” he said.
“We found in the Cummins family full harmony with our corporate values, and shared the strong technical and commercial synergies that will emerge from the union of MEC with our Group.”
Otis M. Cummins Jr. founded Mansfield Plating Company in 1939 and Otis M. Cummins III joined the company in 1965. The business was renamed “Mansfield Manufacturing Company” in the ’60s to reflect its production growth in metal stamping and fabricating.
MEC was founded by brothers Bruce and Steve Cummins in 1987 to design and assemble appliance hinges, counterbalances and motion control components.
MEC merged with the family business in 2011 and is currently owned by siblings Bruce, Steve and Claudia Cummins. Bruce serves as the CEO and Steve Cummins is the executive vice president.
“We are very excited about our collaboration with Sabaf,” Steve Cummins said. “There is a level of trust between the two organizations that we believe is unique, and this gives us confidence both in our market position and in our long-term presence in Mansfield’s industrial future.”
