WATERTOWN, Mass., Sept. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Markforged, the 3D printer company transforming manufacturing, today announced new executive team members and expanded manufacturing facilities to support the company’s hypergrowth.

While manufacturing assembly has changed dramatically through automation and globalization, the techniques to create parts using molds or machining blocks of metal have not evolved much over the past 75 or more years.  Markforged is transforming manufacturing by combining 3D printing with new materials such as continuous carbon fiber and metal to produce parts for all phases of the manufacturing process. This transformation is fueling the company’s rapid growth, and the expanded executive team and manufacturing facilities are necessary to stay ahead of demand. 

Bryan Semple has joined as chief marketing officer (CMO). Prior to joining, Semple was the CMO of Boston-based SmartBear, a provider of software developer tools. While at SmartBear, Semple drove an inbound-marketing model across multiple product families to hit revenue objectives that ultimately generated one of Boston’s top ten exits of 2017. Semple has led organizations to various exits, including an IPO and two acquisitions by companies such as NetApp and Dell. 

Brian Nadeau joins Markforged as vice president of engineering. With more than 20 years' experience running engineering organizations, Brian has been a member of multiple successful Boston startups including EqualLogic and Simplivity.  After Dell’s acquisition of EqualLogic, Brian was responsible for all of EqualLogic's hardware, software, quality, and level-3 technical support. During this period of hypergrowth, the team expanded more than 3.5 times and revenue grew to nearly $1 billion yearly, all while maintaining a 99%+ customer satisfaction rate. Brian’s connection to Markforged began in 2014 when he was an early investor in the company.

Markforged has also expanded its manufacturing capacity. The company has leased additional space at 480 Pleasant Street in Watertown, bringing the total to approximately 80,000 square feet with room for up to 500 employees.  While the additional space will assist with core manufacturing needs, Markforged has also contracted with a new Massachusetts-based manufacturing facility dedicated to producing metal 3D printers to meet the demand for affordable, 3D printed metal.

“Bryan and Brian are great additions to the company,” said Greg Mark, founder and CEO of Markforged. “Both have experience scaling hyper-growth companies in their respective functions. We have now completed building out our core management functions at the company, enabling us to accelerate our global expansion. There is a massive opportunity in front of us as we work to disrupt the $12T manufacturing market.”

“Researching the Boston tech ecosystem, Markforged is one of a few companies I found that combines one of the best technical teams around with absolutely massive market potential,” said Semple. “Markforged has an incredible independently developed IP portfolio. We were early to market with a desktop-sized 3D metal printer, and we’re the only company that can print continuous carbon fiber for strong parts. Markforged is going to be a global leader in additive manufacturing – built in Boston.”

"As an early investor, I'm extremely proud of Markforged's accomplishments especially in metal and continuous carbon fiber printing,” said Nadeau. “After watching the company scale from an investor perspective, I am excited to join as a member of the management team during this next phase of growth.”

About Markforged
Markforged transforms manufacturing with the most affordable 3D printers capable of producing parts tough enough for the factory floor. Engineers, designers, and manufacturing professionals all over the world rely on Markforged metal and composite printers for tooling, fixtures, functional prototyping, and high-value end-use production. Founded in 2013 and based in Watertown, MA, Markforged has over 150 employees globally, with $57 million in both strategic and venture capital. To learn more about Markforged, please visit https://markforged.com

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