HISTORY

Donald Kendall. Mack History.

Mack Molding History: Innovation from the Start

Mack history begins in the early days of modern plastics—inside the laboratories of none other than Thomas Edison. In the early 1900s, Donald S. Kendall, a chemist at the Edison Companies in New Jersey, was working to develop a better alternative to wax for phonograph records. His experimentation with newly invented thermoset resins like urea and Bakelite—the first fully synthetic plastic—sparked a lifelong fascination with the commercial potential of plastic materials.

In 1920, Kendall partnered with Kenneth W. Macksey to found Mack Molding Company in Little Falls, N.J. With just three rebuilt injection molding presses, the company soon made history by producing the first-ever plastic part used in a commercial product—a component for the Otis Elevator Company.

From Bottle Caps to Battlefields

By 1929, Mack had acquired a DuPont plant in Wayne, N.J., and a decade later moved operations to a larger facility in Arlington, Vt.,— where the Company still maintains two facilities today, including its headquarters. Early on, Mack primarily molded bottle caps, but during World War II, the company shifted its focus to support the war effort, producing mortar shell casings and related components.

Postwar Expansion and Diversification

Mack HistoryAfter the war, Mack history evolved by entering the consumer and automotive markets, molding components for General Motors and its Frigidaire division. Among its first automotive products was the iconic Indian head logo for Pontiac, injection molded from yellow acrylic to replace the original metal version.

In the 1960s, the Kendall family bought out their partners and expanded into consumer products, manufacturing items like Timex watch boxes and Schick razor handles. The company’s momentum continued to grow under the leadership of Donald S. Kendall III, who took the reins in 1974 when annual sales were approximately $4 million.

Industrial Markets and New Frontiers

A turning point came when IBM approached Mack to produce a plastic monitor housing, launching the company into the industrial sector—still one of Mack’s core markets today, along with medical, transportation, robotics, and energy & utilities.

Mack Today

Mack History. Mack today.Today, Mack Molding operates five  U.S. facilities with over 120 injection molding presses ranging from 28 to 4,000 tons. While plastic injection molding remains a foundational capability, Mack has evolved into a vertically integrated contract manufacturer, offering:

Sheet metal fabrication

  • Precision machining
  • Total product assembly, including Class III PMA medical devices
  • Electromechanical systems integration
  • Final functional testing, warehousing, and fulfillment

Mack Molding is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mack Group, a privately held, financially strong corporation led by President and CEO Will Kendall, representing the fourth generation of family leadership.

The Mack Group Advantage

With a 5A1 Dun & Bradstreet rating—the highest possible—Mack Group operates 10 facilities across the United States and Mexico, totaling 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space. The organization employs over 3,000 people, generates more than $600 million in annual revenue, and continues to self-finance its own growth and acquisitions.

From its origins in the early plastic age to its role today as a world-class contract manufacturer, Mack remains committed to innovation, integrity, and delivering exceptional value to its customers.

 

MISSION

Mack’s mission is Total Customer Satisfaction. Though simple in wording, this principle drives every major decision the company makes. For example, entering the rapid prototyping and tooling markets was a direct response to customer feedback and the need to accelerate time-to-market. Likewise, expanding the headquarters facility to increase contract manufacturing capacity was driven by growing market demand.

But beyond responding to customers’ needs to further grow the business, Mack also formally measures customer satisfaction on a quarterly basis around four criteria:

  • Return rate
  • Number of on-time deliveries
  • How the customer ranks Mack as a supplier in relation to its competitors
  • General feedback from customers

Results are posted in all plants and compensation is directly linked to customer satisfaction and profitability.

Key Values

As part of its mission, Mack employees embrace the following key values, which serve as the foundation for continued improvement, growth and success of the company:

WORK ENVIRONMENT

We will encourage the exchange of new ideas by creating a cooperative, team-oriented working environment. We will maintain a physical working environment which is clean and safe at all times.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

We will be a good and active corporate citizen in the communities in which we operate. We will be a good and active corporate citizen in the communities in which we operate.

FINANCIAL STABILITY

We will maintain a strong financial position by re-investing our profits in new equipment, new technology and new training while avoiding long-term debt.

INTEGRITY

We will deal honestly and openly with our customers, our co-workers, our suppliers and the public. We will deal honestly and openly with our customers, our co-workers, our suppliers and the public.

FAIRNESS

As members of the Mack team, we will treat each other with honesty and respect at all times. Favoritism, discrimination, and special privileges have no place at Mack.

ETHICS

We will comply with all laws and government regulations at all times. We will conduct business in an ethical manner.

TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Customer satisfaction is everyone’s primary job at Mack. Each of us will strive to satisfy the needs of not only our external customers but each of our internal customers as well.