Miniature Custom Manufacturing (MCM) broke ground today on a 30,000-square-foot warehouse expansion at 170 N Leja Drive in the village of Vicksburg, Michigan. Once complete, the $3 million investment in new space will bring 50 new jobs to the area. After this latest addition is complete, MCM will be housed in three neighboring facilities totaling 75,000 square feet, providing space for six new presses and three robotic cells.

“We couldn’t [have done] this without the wonderful men and women who we have working on our team. It really is a team effort, as well as the support we received from the village of Vicksburg, Southwest Michigan First, and community leaders who have helped us to get to the point we are today,” said MCM President Kevin Murphy. “With this investment, we are calling Vicksburg and West Michigan our permanent home.”

Founded in 2007, MCM has experienced steady growth over the past few years. The highly automated injection molding company produces products for many industries, ranging from automotive to packaging. The automotive shutdown during the pandemic identified the need for the company to pursue diversification, and MCM is now seeing its largest growth through securing new partnerships in consumer packaging. MCM’s customers are located throughout the U.S., with a few automotive customers in Mexico.

MCM partners on this project included the Michigan Economic Development Corporation which supported the project with a $175,000 Business Development Program grant, the Village of Vicksburg which approved a 12-year PA 198 tax abatement in April 2019, and Southwest Michigan First.

According to Southwest Michigan First President and Interim CEO Carla Sones, the idea for the addition gained momentum during a meeting with company leadership around product diversification. “Our job, as a regional economic development organization, is to help align community resources with companies. No matter what size a company is, we are here to make sure they are connected to great resources and services, so they are able to problem solve as issues arise,” said Carla. “[Like MCM has shown], we believe the future of our region is going to rely on companies that cannot only grow, but also change.”

Village of Vicksburg Council President, Timothy Frisbie lives near the development and is both grateful and supportive of the continued growth for MCM. “They’re great to work with, and it’s a great addition to this village,” said Timothy.

MCM has increased from 49 employees in 2019 to over 80 employees. Currently, the company is seeking to fill 21 open positions and intends to increase that number by an additional 10 to 15 before year end. Open positions include supervisors, technicians and machine operators.

As MCM expands, the company is eager to add motivated people to its team. “One of the things we pride ourselves on here at MCM is the ability to train. We can take an individual who doesn’t have manufacturing experience and train them how to do things our way. We’re looking for qualified [individuals] who are willing to try their best and show up on time. If you can do that, we will teach you the rest of the position,” said Kevin. “MCM offers competitive compensation, 401(k) match, insurance, a perfect attendance bonus, employee of the month recognition, quarterly cook-outs, yearly picnics, and a Christmas party.”

Individuals interested in a career with MCM should visit https://www.miniaturecustommfg.com.

For more on the groundbreaking, watch this segment from WWMT News Channel 3.

Updated Sunday, May 23, 2021.