Blodgett Ovens has announced the opening of a new facility in Essex to build proprietary steam equipment for the commercial foodservice industry. This new facility, built under the Market Forge brand, will be completed on July 11. The facility's opening follows the Middleby Corporation’s purchase of Market Forge industries’ assets on January 7. The Middleby Corporation, Blodgett's parent, has moved all of the production, sales and engineering from Everett, Mass. to the new Essex location.
“Blodgett is pleased to have the Market Forge operations move to Vermont,” said Gary Mick, President of Blodgett Ovens who also oversees the Market Forge operations. “We are very excited to combine the technologies of two great brands.”
Market Forge was established in 1896 and is an industry leader in steam cooking equipment. Blodgett Ovens, which was established in 1848 and produces award-winning commercial convection and combi ovens in Burlington, will assist Market Forge in providing service and support teams. The Market Forge move will also bring new manufacturing jobs to Vermont.
“We could not have accomplished this move without the support of Doug Nedde of Nedde Real Estate, who helped ensure a smooth transition, and the assistance of Frank Cioffi of the Greater Burlington Industrial Council (GBIC), as well as the folks at The Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC), and the town of Essex,” Mick said. “Most importantly, our talented Blodgett employees make this move possible.”
The transition effort, which was accomplished in six months, was led by Dan Coolbeth, Blodgett Vice President of Operations, Erica Havers, Blodgett Vice President and Controller, and Jeff Leckel, Market Forge President.
“Dan, Erica, and Jeff did a fantastic job in guiding the transition team to move Market Forge under a tight time-line, and we didn’t miss shipping a single order,” Mick said.
Blodgett Ovens and Market Forge Industries are a division of The Middleby Corporation, a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry. The company develops, manufactures, markets and services a broad line of equipment used for commercial and residential food cooking, preparation and processing.
Source: Blodgett Ovens, July 2, 2014