MBW Inc.
250 Hartford Road, Slinger
INDUSTRY: Construction equipment
EMPLOYEES: 67
mbw.com
Slinger-based MBW Inc. was started more than 50 years ago after the company’s founders brought a new kind of vibratory plate to market.
MBW specializes in manufacturing confined area compaction equipment. The company’s products are smaller than traditional vibratory rollers, allowing customers to get into smaller areas such as underneath bridges or onto patios. MBW’s flagship product is their vibratory plate.
Founders Helmut Maass and Frank Multerer Sr. began the company in 1967 after breaking off from Wacker Neuson. The two men began building their specialized vibratory plates in a small, unheated utility garage. They were only able to make four plates at a time but, by 1970, MBW emerged as a market leader in vibratory plates throughout the Midwest.
“It was a revolutionary design change called the oil bath excitor,” said Andy Multerer, chief executive officer and president of MBW. “That was their big advantage. With everyone else’s products, you had to grease the bearings. With an excitor, one side of it is much heavier, the part that spins. Then the other side, that’s what causes the vibration. There’s a little oil on the bottom so when the excitor comes around, it splashes. That’s what keeps the bearings oiled.”
This gave MBW a leg up over competitors, as the company’s vibratory plates saved customers maintenance time and lasted far longer.
“We’ve had machines out there and they’ve never changed the oil. Thirty years later and it’s still running. It really was a huge enhancement to that kind of equipment,” said Bert Multerer, senior advisor at MBW.
The primary market for MBW’s equipment is construction firms. In addition to vibratory plates, the company expanded its product range in 1970 to include percussion rammers, trowels and mortar-plaster mixers. MBW’s most unique product is their vapor extraction unit, which is used in emergency situations to extract natural gases out of the air.
“The bulk of our competition is focused on how many and how cheap can we make this. It’s almost as if they look at our segment not as consumables but close to it,” said Andy Multerer. “The little stuff is what we’re highly focused on.”
Innovation has always played a key role in the company’s success. By 2005, MBW’s product line expanded to more than 90 individual products. The company has also seen physical growth, with the completion of six building additions since 1970 and the opening of a distribution subsidiary in England in 1971.
MBW is in the midst of its latest addition at its Slinger headquarters. It will include the construction of a research and development facility. Out of 13,000 square feet of additional space, half will be dedicated to research and development. This includes space for engineering and shop work near the testing room. MBW’s service department and sales team will also have space in the new building.
“This allows us to address plant layout and open up a little bit more room,” said Andy Multerer. “This will really help us streamline everything with the ultimate goal of increasing capacity significantly.”
There are also two additional areas within the Slinger headquarters that are designated for future expansions, but the MBW team is not yet at the stage where they need to use the space.
The bulk of our competition is focused on how many and how cheap can we make this. It’s almost as if they look at our segment not as consumables but close to it. The little stuff is what we’re highly focused on.”
— Andy Multerer, MBW Inc.
