Mass Finishing

What Mass Finishing does

Mass Finishing, Inc. (MFI) is a privately held, 100% employee-owned (ESOP) manufacturer of industrial parts finishing equipment, headquartered in Howard Lake, Minnesota and operating as a subsidiary of Innovance, Inc. since its May 2016 acquisition. Founded in 1995 by brothers Mike and Tom Mathisen after purchasing the mass finishing division from Timesavers, the company designs and builds a complete portfolio of high-energy centrifugal barrel finishing machines (the HZ-Series, ten models ranging from the compact HZ-6 to the full-production HZ-330), centrifugal disc finishers (RF-Series), vibratory tubs, vibratory bowls, and supporting media separation and wastewater handling equipment. Its core technology uses a four-barrel planetary "Ferris wheel" motion that generates up to 12G of centrifugal force - materially more aggressive than standard vibratory finishing - producing isotropic surface finishes on metal and non-metal parts in minutes rather than hours.

MFI monetizes primarily through capital equipment sales to manufacturers across eleven verticals, with named customers spanning musical instrument manufacturing (Conn-Selmer), motorsports and aerospace (Roush Yates), 3D printing (3D Logics), dental (GPS Digital RPD), and custom fabrication (Twin Turbos / DeBerti Brothers). Revenue is supplemented by consumables (tumbling media and proprietary corn cob blends plus liquid and powder compounds manufactured in-house) and by services including free sample part testing and lifetime equipment support. Distribution combines a direct enterprise sales team with a 50+ US dealer network and seven international distributors across Switzerland, China, Australia, Singapore, UK, Canada, and South Africa; financing is offered through partners Ascentium Capital (up to $2M) and Geneva Capital alongside an MFI lease-to-own program. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and MN SHARP certifications and actively markets through industry tradeshows (IMTS, RAPID+TCT, OMTEC, SHOT Show, LMT LAB DAY), case studies, and a quarterly newsletter.

Name

Mass Finishing

Legal name

Mass Finishing, Inc.

Website

https://massfin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mass Finishing, Inc. (MFI) is an employee-owned, Howard Lake, MN-based manufacturer of high-energy centrifugal barrel finishing equipment (HZ-Series), vibratory finishers, and consumables serving aerospace, automotive, medical, dental, additive manufacturing, and firearms customers via direct sales and a global dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Finishing Equipment

NAICS

All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (333998), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting) (IMAHADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capping, Sealing & Closing Machines (IMAHAOAG), Abrasive Blasting & Media Finishing (Bead Blasting, Shot Peening) (IMAAAGAF), Surface Preparation Equipment (Shot Blasting, Scarifiers, Grinders) (IMAHALAL)

Keywords

• Centrifugal barrel finishing
• Vibratory finishing equipment
• Industrial parts deburring
• Parts polishing machines
• Tumbling media compounds

Headquarters

HQ city

Howard Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Finishing Equipment Sales: Sale of centrifugal barrel finishing machines, vibratory finishing equipment, and accessories. Product line includes HZ-Series (HZ-6 through HZ-330), Centrifugal Disc Finishers, Vibratory Tubs, Vibratory Bowls, and media separating/wastewater handling equipment. Equipment ranges from compact benchtop models to full-production industrial machines.
2. Consumables (Media and Compounds): Sale of tumbling media (ceramic, plastic, porcelain, corn cob, synthetic, walnut shell, XM) and liquid/powder compounds required for finishing operations. Also manufactures proprietary corn cob blends at Howard Lake facility.
3. Equipment Financing and Leasing: Lease-to-own program allows customers to make manageable monthly payments instead of large upfront purchases. Partners with Ascentium Capital and Geneva Capital for equipment financing up to $2 million.
4. Sample Processing and Process Development: Free sample part processing in processing lab to determine right equipment and process. Creates custom recipes and processes tailored to customer business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mass Finishing designs and manufactures industrial parts finishing equipment, with its core being the HZ-Series Centrifugal Barrel Finishers (models HZ-6 through HZ-330) that use high-energy planetary motion to deburr, polish, and create isotropic surface finishes on metal and non-metal parts. The product portfolio also includes Centrifugal Disc Finishers (RF-Series), Vibratory Tubs, Vibratory Bowls, media separating and wastewater handling equipment, plus consumables such as tumbling media (ceramic, plastic, porcelain, corn cob, synthetic, walnut shell, XM) and liquid/powder compounds. The company also offers free sample part processing in its Howard Lake laboratory and lifetime equipment support.

Product overview

Mass Finishing, Inc. (MFI) is an industry leader in industrial parts finishing equipment, offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on the HZ-Series Centrifugal Barrel Finishers as the core product line. The product portfolio includes ten models of centrifugal barrel finishers (HZ-6 through HZ-330) ranging from compact entry-level to full-production high-capacity machines, Centrifugal Disc Finishers (RF-Series), Vibratory Tubs, and Vibratory Bowls. Supporting the core finishing equipment are complementary accessories (Processing Tables, Media Separators, PLC Touchscreen Controllers, Barrel Dividers, Centrifuge Wastewater Systems), consumables (tumbling media in ceramic/plastic/porcelain/organic materials, liquid and powder compounds), and services (sample part processing lab and lifetime equipment support). The company serves diverse industries including aerospace, automotive, medical/dental, firearms, jewelry, knife, additive manufacturing, and contract manufacturing/job shops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HZ-Series Centrifugal Barrel Finishers High-energy industrial tumblers using four-barrel planetary motion and up to 12G centrifugal force for rapid deburring, edge radiusing, and isotropic surface finishes. The signature MFI product line spans ten models from the compact HZ-6 (250 RPM, two barrels, 120V single-phase) through the HZ-330 full-production machine, with key models including HZ-12 (12-liter precision finisher), HZ-40 (best-selling mid-range with four barrel configurations), HZ-60 (mid-size full-production), HZ-85, HZ-120, HZ-160 (motorsports/aerospace), HZ-175, HZ-220, and HZ-330.
• Centrifugal Disc Finishers (RF-Series) Higher-energy-than-vibratory centrifugal disc finishing machines designed for higher-volume deburring and cleaning projects. RF-Series includes RF-20, RF-50, RF-100, RF-200, and an Automated RF-Series with easy loading/unloading and full automation availability for production environments.
• Vibratory Tubs Industrial vibratory finishing tubs designed for finishing larger parts and higher volumes with longer cycle times. Includes W-5, PV Series (PV-0.75, PV-2.5, PV-5), VB Series, V Series, and Thru-Feed models for both batch and continuous processing.
• Vibratory Bowls Industrial vibratory bowl finishing equipment for batch processing small to medium-sized parts. Includes BV Bowls, OR Series, LR Series, and SBB Series configurations, suited to small parts finishing in production environments.
• Media Separating & Wastewater Handling Equipment Complementary equipment line for separating finishing media from parts and handling effluent. Includes the Centrifuge Wastewater System (CF55 SD Microseparator), Free-Standing Media Separator, Media Return System, Media Storage Rack, Processing Table and Sludge Tank, and PV Media Separator.
• Tumbling Media Consumable finishing media sold in a variety of shapes and materials for use with MFI equipment. Includes Ceramic (cone, triangle, fast-cut triangle, cylinder, fast-cut pin, ellipse, fast-cut sphere, star, tri-star, mixed), Corn Cob (manufactured at Howard Lake facility), Plastic (tetrahedron, cone, pyramid, triangle), Porcelain (microbrite sphere, polishing pin, polishing tri-star, polishing triangle), Synthetic, Walnut Shell, XM, and Sludge Absorbent types.
• Finishing Compounds (Liquid and Powder) Liquid and powder compounds essential for the mass finishing process, selected by composition and performance characteristics to complement specific media and parts. Sold as recurring consumables for use with MFI vibratory and centrifugal equipment.
• Sample Part Processing Lab Services Free sample part testing service where MFI processes customer-submitted parts at its Howard Lake laboratory to determine the right equipment and process, creating custom recipes and processes tailored to the customer's parts, materials, and finish requirements. Most samples are processed within one week at no cost and no obligation.
• Lifetime Equipment Support In-house and virtual equipment support covering technical issues, process-related questions, on-site visits, and video demos for all Mass Finishing equipment purchased.

Quantifiable outcome

• Centrifugal barrel finishing can achieve results in minutes that may otherwise take hours of manual labor
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ALMCO (Sister Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Innovance family of brands. ALMCO manufactures high-end industrial finishing and parts washing equipment. Joint tradeshow presence with MFI at events like IMTS.
• Jorgensen (Sister Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Innovance family of brands. Jorgensen provides proven lines of conveyors, coolant filtration, and chip processing machinery. Joint tradeshow presence with MFI at events like IMTS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Engis Corporation: Engis manufactures lapping, polishing, and finishing equipment including AF (automated finishing) systems that compete directly with MFI's vibratory and centrifugal equipment in precision component finishing.
• OTEC Präzisionsfinish: OTEC is a German specialist in centrifugal disc and drag finishing machines, competing head-to-head with MFI's RF-Series disc finishers in the same precision-finishing customer segments (medical, jewelry, additive manufacturing).
• Walther Trowal: Walther Trowal specializes in vibratory finishing, drag finishing, and centrifugal disc finishers — directly overlapping with MFI's centrifugal barrel, disc, and vibratory offerings across automotive and aerospace customers.
• Lapmaster Wolters: Lapmaster Wolters makes precision finishing, lapping, and flat-honing equipment, overlapping with Mass Finishing in surface finishing for medical devices, aerospace, and precision manufacturing.
• Sinto (Shinto): Sinto is a Japanese maker of shot blasting and mass finishing equipment used in automotive and foundry applications; closely comparable to MFI's centrifugal and vibratory product portfolio for industrial customers.
• Wheelabrator Group: Wheelabrator (now part of ACF) makes wheel blast, air blast, and vibratory finishing equipment used in the same automotive, aerospace, and metal-fabrication finishing applications as Mass Finishing.
• Rösler Oberflächentechnik: Rösler is the largest global manufacturer of mass finishing equipment (vibratory, centrifugal, disc) and shot blasting systems, making it the closest 1:1 direct competitor to Mass Finishing across product line and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• ALMCO: ALMCO is a sister company within Innovance that manufactures industrial parts washing and finishing equipment, providing broader portfolio coverage of the same finishing workflow but specializing differently (washing focus) than MFI (tumbling focus).
• Acme Manufacturing: Acme Manufacturing produces robotic and automated finishing systems (grinding, polishing, buffing) targeting aerospace and industrial customers, with a broader automation emphasis compared to MFI's centrifugal barrel focus.

Emerging players

• Burr King Manufacturing: Burr King is a smaller US competitor focused on deburring machines, vibratory bowls, and tumbling equipment serving job shops and contract manufacturers — a comparable but more narrowly focused market position versus MFI's broader equipment portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MassFinishing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mass-finishing-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mass Finishing