MFM Building Products honored for continued success

Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune
·3 min read

WALNUT CREEK − A manufacturing staple of Coshocton County was recently recognized for its growth and importance to the community with an excellence award by a regional organization.

Paul Bratton of MFM Building Products, with Tiffany Swigert of the Coshocton Port Authority looking on, accepts the Small Manufacturer Excellence Award from the Easter Ohio Development Alliance during its recent annual meeting in Walnut Creek. MFM recently completed a new warehouse and added a product line in its main building.
Paul Bratton of MFM Building Products, with Tiffany Swigert of the Coshocton Port Authority looking on, accepts the Small Manufacturer Excellence Award from the Easter Ohio Development Alliance during its recent annual meeting in Walnut Creek. MFM recently completed a new warehouse and added a product line in its main building.

MFM Building Products was named the Small Manufacturer of the Year by the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance during its annual meeting recently at the Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek. It was nominated for the award by Tiffany Swigert, executive director of the Coshocton Port Authority. Accepting were fulfillment manager Paul Bratton and operations manager David Delcoma.

"It's phenomenal to win that award from the small town of Coshocton. To be chosen from 16 different counties, it's a great pleasure," Bratton said.

MFM also received a Community Improvement Award from the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce earlier this year honoring the completion of its $8 million expansion project in November.

The firm held a groundbreaking in March 2021 for a new 46,000-square-foot warehouse to hold raw materials and some finished goods. This allowed a new product line to be added in the main building. Another building where raw materials were stored was also remodeled into office space. A building once used for storage and offices was razed and turned into green space and parking. The expansion was targeted to create 21 new jobs. MFM currently has more than 70 employees.

"We're slowly getting into it, but it's working out good," Bratton said of the new line being up and running.

Paul Bratton of MFM Building Products is congratulated by Tiffany Swigert of the Coshocton Port Authority on winning the Small Manufacturer Excellence Award from the Easter Ohio Development Alliance during its recent annual meeting in Walnut Creek. MFM recently completed a new warehouse and added a product line in its main building.
Paul Bratton of MFM Building Products is congratulated by Tiffany Swigert of the Coshocton Port Authority on winning the Small Manufacturer Excellence Award from the Easter Ohio Development Alliance during its recent annual meeting in Walnut Creek. MFM recently completed a new warehouse and added a product line in its main building.

The company dating back 62 years manufactures exterior, self-adhering waterproofing membranes for the construction industry. Examples include waterproofing material under roof shingles and around windows. It has more than 30 individual brand products with several holding patents for various innovations.

MFM sells products to direct distributors, not to contractors or the general public. It does business across North America and some countries overseas such as Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. It became an employee owned company in 2017.

MFM's business has grown 220% since 2009, which Bratton credits to the workers and getting new products into new markets.

"Our future goals is just to continue our growth. We're looking to add more employees down the road here. So, we're always looking at new and inventive ways for new products and we're always in the development stage for new products," Bratton said. "We have a hardworking MFM family dedicated to what they do."

EODA President J.P. Dutton, center, presents Paul Bratton and David Delcoma of MFM Building Products with the Small Manufacturer Excellence Award at its recent annual meeting in Walnut Creek. MFM also received recognition for the honor from Rep. Darrell Kick, third from left. Also present were Coshocton County Commissioners Rick Conkle, Dane Shryock and Gary Fischer and from the Coshocton Port Authority Tiffany Swigert, Ashley Guthrie and Hannah Gallagher.

The EODA is an independent, non-profit organization consisting of 16 counties in Eastern and Southeastern Ohio, including Coshocton. It was formed in 1990 with the goal of promoting economic growth of the region. Swigert said she coordinates award nominations with the chamber of commerce.

"Immediately MFM came to mind," Swigert said on considering candidates for EODA awards. "Having that new 48,000-square-foot warehouse in our community, and the fact that they chose Coshocton to do that in, should really be awarded. They're a phenomenal company with a potential for the future that's incredible. We really wanted to recognize them for their efforts."

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: MFM Building Products honored for continued success