Lactation Stations – Made in Springfield

Congressman Peter Welch was among those who helped open Konrad Prefab’s new manufacturing facility in the Robert S Jones Industrial Center in Springfield. Konrad Prefab specializes in the design and production of modular and display units. Their initial product line are lactation suites.


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Video: Konrad Prefab ribbon-cutting ceremony

With remarks by Springfield Regional Development Corp. director Bob Flint, Congressman Peter Welch, Mamava sales manager Janet Stambolian, Springfield Town Manager Tom Yennerell, and Konrad Prefab president David Jaacks.

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Grand opening heralds new Konrad Prefab facility

Community development representatives and municipal officials joined Konrad Prefab owner David Jaacks and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch for a ribbon cutting and grand opening to celebrate the new, 18,000-square-foot facility on Monday, Dec. 12.

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Manufacturing of Mamava comes to Springfield
Manufacturing is returning to Springfield, although it's nothing remotely resembling machine tools.

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2016-12-13 / Front Page Grand opening heralds new Konrad Prefab facility By TORY JONES toryb@eagletimes.com Konrad Prefab employees, from left, Ian Staples of Claremont, Amos Jarvis of Weatherfield, and Ryan Lather of Brownsville work on one of the Mamava suites on Monday, Dec. 12 during the facility's grand opening. — TORY JONES Konrad Prefab employees, from left, Ian Staples of Claremont, Amos Jarvis of Weatherfield, and Ryan Lather of Brownsville work on one of the Mamava suites on Monday, Dec. 12 during the facility's grand opening. — TORY JONES SPRINGFIELD — Community development representatives and municipal officials joined Konrad Prefab owner David Jaacks and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch for a ribbon cutting and grand opening to celebrate the new, 18,000-square-foot facility on Monday, Dec. 12. Jaacks acknowledged the support from his family while he was launching the business, and his “incredibly important” employees. The company builds prefabricated architectural environments, specializing in the design and production of modular and display units. “The idea is to make it lighter, smaller, faster,” which helps the company compete in a worldwide market, he said. In its initial product line, Konrad Prefab has partnered with Mamava, a Burlington-based company, to manufacture “lactation suites” that contain two benches and private space for new mothers to express milk or breastfeed in public spaces such as military installations, sports complexes, airports and work environments, according to Jaacks. “It’s to provide a safe, secure environment for mothers to express milk,” he said. Welch traveled to the Robert S. Jones Industrial Center on Clinton Street to congratulate Jaacks on the new business. “The future begins today, right here,” Welch said. “We have people here who believe in Springfield.” Welch also said it is heartening to see a new, local, vibrant manufacturer in a community that is globally synonymous with manufacturing. Konrad Prefab employs five people at this time in the center, owned by the Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC). Jaacks said he hopes to have up to 10-15 employees by late spring. “We obviously celebrate manufacturing in any form, and new businesses,” said SRDC Executive Director Bob Flint, who also praised Jaacks’ courage for starting a new business in Springfield. Flint also said it is nice to have a manufacturer working in a specialized market such as this one, especially in the former Jones and Lamson facility, a building that he described as “legendary” in Vermont manufacturing history. The town is working to strengthen its manufacturing presence again, he said. “The partnership between him and Mamava is a win-win for both companies,” Flint said. Springfield Town Manager Tom Yennerell said the town is very interested in having more businesses, including both new businesses and expansions. The town still has a lot of commercial and industrial space available, he said. Mamava CEO and co-founder Sascha Meyer expressed thanks to Welch for his continued support of Mamava, and said she was pleased that the company could now have its products manufactured in Vermont, according to a press release from SRDC. “We’re grateful for the opportunity not just to support our nursing mamas, but our local economy and community here in Vermont. It is this amazing community that made Mamava possible and we couldn’t be happier to reciprocate that support today,” she said. Mamava Sales Manager Janet Stambolian, who was at the ribbon cutting, said the suites are in approximately 150 locations in the United States at this time, and the company projects that number will increase to about 300 within the next year. The partnership with Jaacks began when Mamava’s co-founders took a design brief to him in 2013, and he created the product they are now manufacturing, she said. “We love to say we are made in the USA. But now we get to say we’re made in Vermont. That’s even more special to us,” Strombolian said. SRDC, Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), Mascoma Bank, and the town of Springfield all assisted with the project. Nearby at the Howard Dean Center in Springfield, also on Monday morning, the SRDC presented a HUBZone Program workshop through the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center and U.S. Small Business Administration. The workshop, one of several in the state, was to help local companies understand what the new HUBZone Program expansion could mean for their business. For more information on SRDC’s programs, call (802) 885-3061.