Burlington, VT, Oct. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mamava, the category creator of freestanding lactation suites, announces the acquisition of its manufacturing operations based in Springfield, Vermont. The business will now operate as Mamava Manufacturing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mamava, Inc.
This vertical integration provides greater autonomy in new product development, enhances Mamava’s design capabilities, and creates production efficiencies that will both improve customer experience and drive business growth. Mamava Manufacturing will be led by Mamava co-founders CEO Sascha Mayer and COO Christine Dodson. Mark Wiggins, Mamava’s EVP of Operations, will provide oversight of manufacturing operations.
In-house manufacturing is a major step forward for Mamava, a company born to transform the culture of breastfeeding by increasing equitable access to the structural support that breastfeeding parents need at work and on the go. The company placed its first pod at Burlington International Airport in 2013. Today, Mamava offers a full line of lactation space solutions with comprehensive creative services options, as well as a free Mamava app that helps breastfeeding parents find thousands of lactation spaces—not just Mamava pods—wherever they go. There are currently 1,900+ Mamava pods across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
“We are thrilled to be a women-owned business doing this work in Vermont,” says Christine Dodson, Mamava COO and co-founder. “We believe that women are critical to manufacturing’s future. We hope that running our own production will not only make the world a friendlier place for breastfeeding parents, but also help reshape the way women think about jobs in manufacturing. Gender diversity benefits companies by improving the ability to innovate and design with the customer in mind. We hope to attract more women in manufacturing roles as we grow the facility and serve as an example nationwide for women who are building products based on their own inventions.”
Effective September 1, Mamava acquired relevant equipment in a 34,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility from Konrad Prefab, which had been Mamava's contract manufacturer. Mamava hired twelve employees already working at the facility and, since the closing, has hired two additional employees, with more positions expected to be added in the near future. Local lenders Vermont Community Loan Fund and Mascoma
Bank have been Mamava’s financial partners for several years and helped to support this transaction.
Konrad Prefab was created in 2016 by architect and fabricator David Jaacks to manufacture the Mamava pod designs he developed in collaboration with Mamava’s team. Jaacks' Konrad Prefab business has relocated to a new manufacturing location in Springfield, focused on a new endeavor.
“We are grateful for the partnership with Konrad Prefab and for the opportunity to acquire the business and its former employees. They are a great team with deep expertise in making our products. Owning the facilities gives us the space to support new product research and development,” says Mark Wiggins, Mamava’s EVP of Operations.
About Mamava
Mamava, the leading expert in lactation space design, is dedicated to transforming the culture of breastfeeding in the United States by providing flexible lactation space solutions designed to meet the needs of breastfeeding families. Mamava pods are linked into a proprietary smart technology system that empowers easy wayfinding and autonomous access. Parents can open them with Mamava’s free app (available for iOS and Android). The app also allows moms to see availability of pods, opt into vacancy alerts, adjust interior lighting and airflow, and leave digital notes of support for the next person. Best of all, the app helps breastfeeding people find thousands of (Mamava-vetted) places to pump on the go—not just Mamava pods, and never a bathroom. To learn more, visit Mamava at mamava.com, and follow Mamava on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Additional B-roll and imagery available upon request.
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