Brown Adds Tooling Firm Freeman

Brown Machine Group, Beaverton, Mich. has purchased Freeman Co., a leading manufacturer of thermoform tooling used predominantly in the high-volume food packaging industry. The transaction was effective Jan.5, 2018. Terms were not disclosed.

Brown makes highly-engineered thermoforming and automated material handling equipment  under the Brown, Lyle, Nalle Automation Systems, and EPCO brand names.

Freeman was founded in 1892 as the Louis G. Freeman Company, and is located in Fremont, Ohio. 

“Brown’s customers enjoy a complete package of process engineering, tooling, productivity enhancement kits, spare parts, 24/7 customer service and access to our state-of-the-art prototyping laboratory for thermoforming processes.” says CEO Bryan Redman. “We are the only thermoforming manufacturer in the U.S. that offers a full range of products, and the corresponding support services, that ensure our customers success. The addition of Freeman provides a more complete tooling solution, further establishing Brown’s position as a comprehensive solutions provider in thermoforming.”

Adds Mike Mullholand, Freeman COO, “(We) have been looking for the right partner for some time now, and we are very happy to be joining the Brown Machine Group family. We are all thrilled about the enhanced product offering for our collective customers, and the re-investment into the business we are all making to ultimately benefit the thermoforming industry.”