‘Sweet’ 2024 in Store at New Humtown Site
COLUMBIANA – Humtown Products, a 65-year-old company that serves the foundry industry, plans to complete a “sweet” move of its 3D printing division this year.
In 2023, Humtown announced it would relocate its 3D printing operations – Humtown Additive – from Leetonia to the former Gorant Chocolatier complex at 8301 Market St. in Boardman.
Humtown CEO Mark Lamoncha says the company’s growing 3D printer roster required additional capacity and a much larger building than the one it operated in Columbiana County.
“Our industrial athletes are all very excited to start working in our new building. But it has not been without some challenges,” Lamoncha says. “Just moving our 3D printers into the new facility was a challenge we had to overcome. The doorways, including the dock itself, all needed to be expanded to get the machines into the building and set up on the production floor. However, it is a small price to pay to have full atmospheric controls for optimized sand-printer efficiency.”
The current plan is to have all machines moved in and at full-scale production by April.
Brandon Lamoncha, director of additive manufacturing says the move to the 55,000-square-foot complex in Boardman was the right fit.
“The new facility on Market Street is a terrific opportunity,” he says. “We now have the space to expand our additive operation and maintain our status as a global leader in 3D printed sand core and mold production.”
Humtown Products, established in 1959, is a third- generation, family-owned company that also manufactures sand cores and molds used in the foundry industry. Between its conventional production plant in Columbiana and its 3D printing operations, Humtown saw 24% revenue growth in 2023 compared to 2022, according to Mark Lamoncha.
Revenues at Humtown Additive increased by 56% in 2023, he adds.
“The increasing demand on our 3D full-scale production facility even warranted the purchase of two additional sand printers in 2023,” he continues. “This brings our fleet of ExOne machines to 13 – further cementing our reputation as a global leader in the production of sand cores and molds.”
Humtown continues to support technology and workforce initiatives underway in the Mahoning Valley such as Youngstown State University’s Excellence Training Center and events through America Makes and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
Humtown last year expanded its most important community outreach project – “Through the Lens of My Friends” video series. “Fostering interest in manufacturing careers in our young adults is the key to continued success in the industry,” Lamoncha says.
In 2023, students from Valley STEM’s 9th-grade and Beaver Local’s 12th-grade programs toured Humtown Additive to not only learn about the 3D sand printing process, but to instruct their fellow classmates about what they learned on site at the plant.
“It is our belief that through their unique perspective, they can educate and inspire their peers to undertake a rewarding career in manufacturing,” Lamoncha says.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
