Order Surge Triggers Expansion at Coghlin Companies

At first, the change barely was noticeable. Then, it became more pronounced as companies increasingly scaled back their orders. Eventually, orders slowed to a mere trickle.

Executives at Coghlin Companies Inc. had to make some hard decisions to keep the firm from hemorrhaging money. One of the most difficult (but logical) choices was furloughs.

In addition to the layoffs, Coghlin executives forced the company’s suppliers to become “Lean” and expanded the customer base to help secure future growth. Over the last few years, Coghlin has ventured outside its familiar wireless and semiconductor territories to make inroads in the medical device, defense and clean tech sectors. It also is now willing to work with different-sized companies, from startups to those that generate about $20 million in revenue annually. “I’m optimistic about our business because of the technologies we’re involved in, because some are world-changing technologies,” said Chris Coghlin, company president and CEO.

Coghlin has good reason to be optimistic. Not only is his company involved in “world-changing” technologies, it also is experiencing an increase in productivity and a surge in automation equipment orders that have prompted the firm to expand operations in Westborough, Mass. The additional 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space will house aspects of the company’s manufacturing and engineering divisions and will enable Coghlin to implement several new industrial automation programs. Executives did not elaborate on the kind of programs that will be housed in the new manufacturing space.

“The new facility will be the immediate home to at least two high-speed automated manufacturing process equipment programs,” Coghlin noted in a prepared statement. Coghlin Companies is a fourth-generation privately held capital equipment contract manufacturing and engineering services specialist with operations in both Worcester and West Boylston, Mass. The company is comprised of four wholly owned subsidiaries—Columbia Tech, Coghlin Precision, Cogmedix and DCI Engineering.