TRAVERSE CITY — Two longtime manufacturing companies in the Traverse City Airport Industrial Park are now one.
Century, LLC acquired Clark Manufacturing in a merger agreement finalized on Feb. 1.
Century, LLC — a vertically integrated metal manufacturing and thermal processing company that specializes in aerospace and industrial tooling products — is housed in two buildings on either side of the end of West Aero-Park Court. Century Sun Metal Treating at 2411 W. Aero-Park Court is also part of the company, which has two distribution centers downstate, in Wixom and Coloma.
Clark Manufacturing, a metal machining company specializing in oil and gas, fluid and compression and medical components, is located at 2485 Aero-Park Drive.
Century, LLC president Tim Healy, who will be chief executive of the newly-combined companies, said the merger will create “a true ‘one-stop shop’ for advanced machining and heat treatment for a wide array of complex metal parts,” according to the release announcing the acquisition.
The merger comes after a series of moves by Century, LLC.
Run by George and later Bill Janis for 55 years, the Dauch family purchased Century, Inc. in June of 2021. The LLC replaced the Inc. in Century to reflect the new investors and new approach to the company at the end of August 2021.
Century LLC Chairman Richard F. Dauch said the acquisition should be another positive step for the company.
“We could not be more excited about the future of both Century and Clark as we continue to grow and diversify our manufacturing capability here in northern Michigan,” Dauch said in a release. “Our family has been committed to building successful manufacturing operations across the Midwest for decades and we are excited to see these two great companies come together to continue that tradition.”
The late Richard E. Dauch co-founded American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. in 1994 after retiring as an executive with Chrysler. His son, David C. Dauch, is chairman of the board and CEO of American Axle. David Dauch attended the Century, LLC event in 2021 on behalf of the family, which includes his mother, Sandra, and Richard F. Dauch, the CEO of Workhorse.
Healy said combing Century, LLC and Clark Manufacturing is a great fit.
“The acquisition of Clark is in line with our long-term vision for Century and brings a new set of customers, portfolio of products and significantly expanded milling capability to our current product offerings,” he said in the release. “This fits perfectly with the turning and grinding capability already resident in our Century Specialties business unit. In addition, our Century Sun Heat Treating business will provide additional capability and operating efficiency to Clark Manufacturing.”
Century, LLC had 160 employees when it hosted the August 2021 ceremony to reveal the company’s slightly-different new name and logo.
Established in 1975, Clark Manufacturing reported it had 103 employees when it hosted the Manufacturing and Machining Talent Tours, a pilot program from MiSTEM Network, in late November. Clark Manufacturing built its current facility in 2018.
Clark Manufacturing President Brian Walter will continue in that role and also assume partial ownership of the combined companies, according to the release.
“It is the next great chapter in the history of Clark Manufacturing, one that I am proud to be a part of and I look forward to continuing to lead Clark as we leverage the strengths of our great new partners at Century, LLC and the Dauch Family,” Walter said in the release.