General Manufacturing Excellence – Large Business Category
Headquarters: Westborough
Locations: 10
Industry subsector: Complex capital equipment manufacturing
Founded: 1885
Employees: 900
Top executives: Chris Coghlin, president, CEO, and chief culture officer; Jim Coghlin, vice chairman and chief supply chain officer; Chris Palermo, CFO; John DeCarlo, chief technology officer and commercialization coach
Primary product: Time-to-market services including engineering, manufacturing, and fulfillment
Coghlin Cos. has grown a 140-year-old business into a 900-employee manufacturer serving industries including medical devices, robotics, and semiconductors, while remaining family-owned in its fourth generation. The company does not make its own products. Instead, it works with other firms to develop, build, and deliver complex equipment, particularly in regulated sectors such as health care.
In the past year, Coghlin expanded into new service lines, including refurbishment and consumables for medical devices, while increasing its work in defense and security. It continued rolling out lean and 6S practices across its operations, part of an ongoing effort to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
Its model – handling engineering, production, and post-sale support – has allowed it to work across industries and maintain steady growth.
Brad Kane is editor of the Worcester Business Journal.
