The acquisition of a Wisconsin-based mezzanine business (then known as Cubic Designs Inc) in 2013 extended MiTek’s portfolio of solutions for the commercial construction sector. With the purchased company established in 1986, the MiTek team has nearly 40 years of experience in mezzanine solutions, with over 20,000 projects delivered worldwide.
Founded by Don Otte and Mike Giffhorn, the original US operation outsourced the manufacture of its mezzanines, but rapid growth led to the opening of its own factory in Waupaca in 2000, which has grown considerably since then.“When the opportunity to become part of MiTek came up,” says Don Otte, “we were excited to grow our mezzanine business with the backing of a large company. We never looked back; we are now a global steel platform provider, something that would have been impossible to achieve without MiTek.”
As well as diversifying MiTek’s offering, purchasing the mezzanine operation in 2013 enabled a move into new markets. Success led to the acquisition in 2017 of two further mezzanine businesses – Mezzanine International Ltd in the UK and Mezzanine Europe GmbH in Germany – giving MiTek a worldwide presence in the mezzanine sector.
“Becoming a global player enabled us to offer our mezzanine customers greater capacity to handle large-scale and complex projects,” explains Matt Loveday, Managing Director Mezzanine, EMEA and North America. “And being part of a large construction specialist with its finger on the pulse of industry trends has given us a real focus on R&D and innovation. We’ve also enjoyed access to more resources, investment, training, and technologies as part of MiTek. Plus, we’ve had the ability to tap into the group’s global expertise – not only in design and engineering but also within the finance, IT, legal, and HR teams.”
MiTek’s origins lie in a US engineering company founded in 1942. The firm grew and evolved, taking the name ‘MiTek’ in 1982 and was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 2001. Today, MiTek is a leading supplier of engineered products, software, and systems to commercial and residential building sectors, with over 72 locations and more than 6,000 workers across 19 countries.
