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Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Disney's ‘Lilo & Stitch' becomes Hollywood's first $1 billion movie of 2025
Walt Disney Co.'s live-action adaptation 'Lilo & Stitch' has now generated more than $1 billion in worldwide box office revenue, becoming the first U.S. film of the year to do so. The movie, based on the 2002 animated film of the same name, made $416.2 million in the U.S. and Canada and an additional $584.8 million internationally. It is the highest-grossing Disney live-action film ever in Mexico, where it brought in $67 million. 'We knew there was a lot of love for 'Lilo & Stitch' with audiences around the world, yet we never take that for granted,' Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement. 'We're proud of how this new film has connected with people.' The Burbank-based media and entertainment giant has already announced that a sequel to 'Lilo & Stitch' is in development. The movie was released on May 23 and hauled in $183 million domestically during its opening weekend, a total that edged out 2022's 'Top Gun: Maverick' to claim the mantle of biggest Memorial Day weekend opener ever. The original animated movie was only a modest box-office performer at the time, bringing in $273 million. Yet over time, Stitch has become increasingly popular, ranking in the top 10 best-selling Disney franchises, alongside stalwarts like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the princesses, Star Wars and Marvel, Disney has said. Sales of Stitch-themed merchandise totaled about $2.6 billion last year. And before the new film was released, the 'Lilo & Stitch' franchise, which includes some animated series, TV films and direct-to-video movies, drove 546 million hours of global viewership on Disney+, with the original movie accounting for more than half of that. Bergman said in May that the popularity of the little blue alien 'definitely' played a role in greenlighting the live-action film. The success of 'Lilo & Stitch' comes as family-friendly movies have ruled the box office. The momentum began in April with Warner Bros. Pictures' 'A Minecraft Movie,' which has now made $955 million worldwide, and continued with 'Lilo & Stitch' and Universal Pictures' live-action adaptation 'How to Train Your Dragon,' which released in June and collected more than $564 million globally. 'Lilo & Stitch' is just the most recent Disney film to cross the $1 billion mark. Last year, Disney and Pixar's animated 'Inside Out 2,' Walt Disney Animation's 'Moana 2' and Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool & Wolverine' each made $1 billion in global box office revenue. Globally, the biggest film of the year remains 'Ne Zha 2,' a Chinese animated juggernaut that grossed more than $2 billion in ticket sales, the vast majority of which came from its home country.
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
This is the rare bright spot in a tough Hollywood job market
LOS ANGELES - Toni Gray's phone is blowing up these days. The head of production at Dhar Mann Studios, which makes shows for YouTube and other online platforms, said entertainment industry friends in Los Angeles had once held out before seeking work in the digital realm. But now, with jobs few and far between at the legacy studios, they are reaching out "all the time" looking for opportunities at the Burbank-based studio, known for posting family-friendly dramas addressing topics like bullying. Seeing some of her peers now flock to be a part of production companies built for distribution on YouTube and other online platforms is exciting for Gray, who worked in traditional television for more than a decade and joined Dhar Mann Studios in February. "It's giving people hope that they can get back to work again," she said. "And it's not just monetary hope for their house and their kids. It actually is giving their own being life again to bring their creative element." In Hollywood's TV and film industries, droves of workers are competing for jobs at a time when many companies are consolidating and laying off hundreds of people at a time. But one segment of the entertainment industry has emerged as a bright spot - the economy made up of people creating video for YouTube and social media. That part of the industry, once dominated by amateurs making funny viral videos with smartphones has blossomed into a formidable entertainment force, where video creators are setting up real businesses with large studios in Southern California funded through advertising by major brands. Dhar Mann Studios plans to add 15 positions to its staff of about 75 full-time employees. In Sherman Oaks, Pave Studios, which produces wellness- and true-crime-related shows, is adding 16 full-time workers to its staff of 67 contractors and employees. Nationwide, there were more than 490,000 jobs supported by YouTube's creative ecosystem last year, according to the Google-owned video platform, citing data from Oxford Economics. That's roughly 60,000 more jobs than in 2023, YouTube said. "It's beginning to mature into creators really building businesses," said Thomas Kim, YouTube's director of product management for creator monetization. "We see more and more of that, and that also means that the number of employees and help that they need to sustain their business has grown over time." Sean Atkins, chief executive of Dhar Mann Studios, called it a big growth opportunity in the market. YouTube is a major player in streaming, representing 12.5% of U.S. TV viewing in May, according to Nielsen, more than streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. "Everything is so new and nascent," said Atkins, a former president at MTV. "I imagine, particularly when you walk around our studio ... that this is what it looked like in the '20s when MGM and Disney and Warner [Bros.] were [founded]. Just this enthusiastic chaos where everyone's trying to figure out what this environment is." The growth in Southern California influencer businesses is a boon to the local production economy that is otherwise struggling. L.A. County saw a 27% decline to 108,564 employees from 2022 to 2024 in the motion picture and sound recording industries, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many Hollywood workers have struggled to find roles, as studios cut down on their programming after the 2023 actor and writer strikes and after overspending during the streaming wars. For years, productions have fled the area to take advantage of lucrative financial incentives out of state and abroad. Production in L.A. County also took a hit following devastating wildfires in January. Meanwhile, the amount of employment in the creator economy is trending up, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. Total workers in the L.A. County creator economy, composed of businesses such as media streaming distribution services and social networks, as well as independent artists, writers and performers, increased 5% to 70,012 from 2022 to 2024, LAEDC said. Companies in the creator economy space also increased 5% to 46,425 businesses during the same time period, according to LAEDC. The bleak job market has caused more people who have worked in traditional studio and TV networks to apply for jobs at digital media companies that produce content for platforms such as YouTube or work with influencers who are growing their staffs. The migration reflects changing realities in the business. Consumers' habits have shifted, where more people are watching YouTube on TV screens these days instead of on smartphones in the U.S., eating into territory held by broadcast and cable television. Video creators have adapted, building production teams and expanding into podcasts, merchandise and sometimes scoring streaming deals. For example, one of YouTube's top creators, Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has a reality competition show on Amazon Prime Video, sells products such as Feastables chocolates and has brand partnerships and sponsorships. His North Carolina holding company, Beast Industries, employs more than 500 people. Kyle Hjelmeseth, chief executive of talent representation firm G&B Digital Management, said he is receiving more calls from people coming with traditional media backgrounds seeking collaborations with influencers. "Five years ago, it would have been very different," he said. "Anytime that somebody from Hollywood or the entertainment complex talked about creators, it was with such a different lens ... a little bit like nose in the air." His company, which has 25 contractors, part-time and full time employees, added four people last month with plans to hire more. "All the pressures of what's happening in Hollywood and the growth of the creator economy [are] crashing into each other in this moment, and that's why we're having a conversation about jobs, because there's such a shift in the energy, and we're certainly feeling it," he said. Pave Studios launched last year with fewer than 10 employees and now has grown to 67 contractors and employees. Part of that growth is fueled by the increasing audience for its videos and podcasts available on platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The company is hiring for roles including executive producers, with a pay range of $95,000 to $145,000, depending on the show, said founder Max Cutler. "As we grow and as the business becomes more complicated, you need more specialists and more people," Cutler said. "Video is definitely a leading growth area for us." Jen Passovoy joined Pave Studios in January as a producer, after working for 10 years at Paramount on competition series such as "RuPaul's Drag Race" and "Ink Master." "Coming from a traditional TV background, I was drawn to how nimble and audience-focused the company is," Passovoy said in an email. "There's less red tape and more room to actually create. You get the energy of a startup with the same high-quality content you'd expect from a major studio." Passovoy, 34, said the job market for traditional studio and TV network workers is really tough right now. "I know more people out of work right now than working, which says a lot," she said. "The traditional TV model just doesn't exist in the same way anymore. Budgets are shrinking and the jobs that used to be steady aren't there. There have been so many layoffs across the industry, and it's forced a lot of incredibly talented people to rethink how and where they create." Skills that people develop in traditional studio and TV roles can translate to digital-first roles, including video editors for influencers and digital media companies, industry observers said. The creator economy also has more specialized roles, such as thumbnail designers - people who create the images used to tease videos on sites including YouTube. Those jobs can pay six figures annually, as they can be instrumental for getting audiences to click on those videos. Roster, a hiring platform that lists job postings in the creator space, said the number of employers signing up to hire on the site has increased by nearly 80% from January to June 2025. Based on a sampling of 1,430 creator job posts in 2025, Roster said the most popular open position was video editor (representing 42.5%), followed by thumbnail designer (16.1%) and producer (10.6%). There are downsides. Not all jobs are full-time. Many creators opt to hire freelancers. "Their production needs need to expand and shrink like an accordion," said Sherry Wong, CEO of Roster. "That's why we see a lot of creators, even if they're really big established creators, they are hiring freelancers, contractors, and being able to keep it as lean as possible." With so many people looking for work, there's intense competition for those jobs, and the ways to apply can be creative and involved. Miami-based creator Jenny Hoyos found freelancers through a hiring challenge she hosted on Roster. Applicants were given 10 minutes of raw video footage and instructed to edit it down to a video short, roughly 30 to 60 seconds long. Hoyos, 20, requested that applicants create a final product that was engaging, cohesive and matched her specific style. She received more than 100 submissions. While there were strong contenders from California, the winners ended up being from Brazil and India. They became her two go-to freelancers, who she said are essentially working an amount equivalent to full-time editors. This method of seeking talent was Hoyos' way of making sure the people she brought on to her team were willing to go the extra mile, she said. Those hoping to break into the digital media world don't necessarily have to have grown up with YouTube and social media like she did, but they do have to "commit to being addicted to watching" content, she said. Not everyone who works for YouTube creators gets paid. Screenwriter Natalie Badillo isn't earning a salary while she tries to build up an audience on YouTube. Badillo, who sold a self-titled project to HBO Max a few years ago, said she was looking for a way to "not wait 8 billion years for a TV show to get picked up," and creating a YouTube channel,"Great Job Nat," was a way to get her material out into the world. "Why wait for somebody to throw you a party when you can just throw your own party?" she said. Badillo draws on her connections with folks from the traditional film and TV world to produce the YouTube videos. While the channel is getting up and running, collaborators work for low pay or simply for the fun of it and to gain experience. Still, her ambitions are big. "I want to be the Jon Stewart of the West," she said. The pay disparities can be an issue for people from traditional media industries looking for jobs. While some programs featuring influencers and vertical excerpts of TV shows and movies are covered by union agreements, other projects don't have those protections. "With temporary hiring, it's like everything else in Hollywood - you either need to have another job that balances things out or you need to get to a critical mass of enough work on enough different projects," said Kevin Klowden, executive director at Milken Institute Finance. "The number of sustainable Hollywood jobs has shrunk." But as the two worlds collide, traditional media companies are already paying attention to the popularity of creator shows and are trying to find ways to partner with influencers. Amazon earlier this year announced more seasons of MrBeast's reality competition series "Beast Games," and digital media companies are adding people with traditional media backgrounds to their staffs. "It's still a lot more tiptoeing," Hjelmeseth said. "Everybody's kind of like looking at each other from across the room, like, 'Should we dance?'" Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Superman' rescues DC at the box office with a $122 million debut
James Gunn's 'Superman' soared to the top of the box office this weekend, giving Warner Bros.'s DC Studios much-needed momentum in the superhero genre after a string of underperforming movies. 'Superman,' which stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, hauled in a robust $122 million in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, 'Superman' brought in a total of $217 million. The movie was a big swing for Burbank-based Warner Bros. and DC, costing an estimated $225 million to produce, not including substantial spending on a global marketing campaign. 'Superman' benefited from mostly positive critics reviews — the movie notched a 82% approval rating on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers liked it too, indicated by an 'A-' grade from polling firm CinemaScore and a 93% positive audience rating from Rotten Tomatoes. The performance for 'Superman' fell short of expectations of some analysts, who had projected an opening weekend of $130 million. . Industry observers attributed that to heavy competition in the marketplace from other blockbusters, including Universal's 'Jurassic World Rebirth' and Apple and Warner Bros.'s 'F1 The Movie.' Shortly before its release, 'Superman' came under fire from right-wing commentators, who criticized comments Gunn made to the Times of London about how Superman (created by a Jewish writer-artist team in the late 1930s) is an immigrant and that he is 'the story of America.' 'If there's any softness here, it's overseas,' said industry analyst and consultant David A. Gross in his FranchiseRe newsletter, after describing the domestic opening as 'outstanding' for a longrunning superhero franchise. The movie generated $95 million outside the U.S. and Canada. Analysts had raised questions about whether Superman's reputation for earnestly promoting truth, justice and the American way would still appeal to a global audience, particularly as other countries have bristled at the U.S. tariff and trade policies enacted by President Trump. 'Superman has always been identified as a quintessentially American character and story, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity,' Gross said. The movie's overall success is key to a planned reboot and refresh of the DC universe. Gunn and producer Peter Safran were named co-chairmen and co-chief executives of DC Studios in 2022 to help turn around the Warner Bros.-owned superhero brand after a years-long rough patch. While 2013's 'Man of Steel,' directed by Zack Snyder, and 2016's 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' each achieved substantial box office hauls, they did not receive overwhelmingly positive reviews. 2017's 'Justice League,' which was intended to be DC's version of Marvel Studios' 'Avengers,' was a critical and commercial disaster for the studio. More recently, films focused on other DC characters such as 2023's 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' 'The Flash' and last year's 'Joker: Folie à Deux' struggled at the box office. With Gunn and Safran at the helm, the pair are now tasked with creating a cohesive vision and framework for its superhero universe, not unlike its rival Marvel, which has long consolidated control under president Kevin Feige (though its films and shows are handled by different directors). Starting the new DC epoch with Superman also presented its own unique challenges. Though he is one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world, Superman's film track record has been a roller coaster. Alternatively sincere, campy or gritty, the Man of Steel has been difficult for filmmakers and producers to strike the right tone. Gunn's version of 'Superman' — still mostly sincere but a touch of the filmmaker's signature goofy humor — worked for critics and audiences. It was a tall order, considering some fans still hold Richard Donner's 1978 'Superman,' starring Christopher Reeve, as the gold standard. 'Pinning down 'Superman' has been a challenge,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. 'It's been like Kryptonite for years for many filmmakers and producers to get it right.' 'Superman' bumped 'Jurassic World Rebirth' to second place, which collected $38.8 million domestically over the weekend for a total of $231 million so far. 'F1,' Universal's 'How to Train Your Dragon' and Disney-Pixar's 'Elio' rounded out the top five at the box office this weekend. Later this month, another major superhero movie will enter the summer blockbuster marketplace: 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' from Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel Studios.
Los Angeles Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
This is the rare bright spot in a tough Hollywood job market
Toni Gray's phone is blowing up these days. The head of production at Dhar Mann Studios, which makes shows for YouTube and other online platforms, said entertainment industry friends in Los Angeles had once held out before seeking work in the digital realm. But now, with jobs few and far between at the legacy studios, they are reaching out 'all the time' looking for opportunities at the Burbank-based studio, known for posting family-friendly dramas addressing topics like bullying. Seeing some of her peers now flock to be a part of production companies built for distribution on YouTube and other online platforms is exciting for Gray, who worked in traditional television for more than a decade and joined Dhar Mann Studios in February. 'It's giving people hope that they can get back to work again,' she said. 'And it's not just monetary hope for their house and their kids. It actually is giving their own being life again to bring their creative element.' In Hollywood's TV and film industries, droves of workers are competing for jobs at a time when many companies are consolidating and laying off hundreds of people at a time. But one segment of the entertainment industry has emerged as a bright spot — the economy made up of people creating video for YouTube and social media. That part of the industry, once dominated by amateurs making funny viral videos with smartphones has blossomed into a formidable entertainment force, where video creators are setting up real businesses with large studios in Southern California funded through advertising by major brands. Dhar Mann Studios plans to add 15 positions to its staff of about 75 full-time employees. In Sherman Oaks, Pave Studios, which produces wellness- and true-crime-related shows, is adding 16 full-time workers to its staff of 67 contractors and employees. Nationwide, there were more than 490,000 jobs supported by YouTube's creative ecosystem last year, according to the Google-owned video platform, citing data from Oxford Economics. That's roughly 60,000 more jobs than in 2023, YouTube said. 'It's beginning to mature into creators really building businesses,' said Thomas Kim, YouTube's director of product management for creator monetization. 'We see more and more of that, and that also means that the number of employees and help that they need to sustain their business has grown over time.' Sean Atkins, chief executive of Dhar Mann Studios, called it a big growth opportunity in the market. YouTube is a major player in streaming, representing 12.5% of U.S. TV viewing in May, according to Nielsen, more than streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. 'Everything is so new and nascent,' said Atkins, a former president at MTV. 'I imagine, particularly when you walk around our studio ... that this is what it looked like in the '20s when MGM and Disney and Warner [Bros.] were [founded]. Just this enthusiastic chaos where everyone's trying to figure out what this environment is.' The growth in Southern California influencer businesses is a boon to the local production economy that is otherwise struggling. L.A. County saw a 27% decline to 108,564 employees from 2022 to 2024 in the motion picture and sound recording industries, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many Hollywood workers have struggled to find roles, as studios cut down on their programming after the 2023 actor and writer strikes and after overspending during the streaming wars. For years, productions have fled the area to take advantage of lucrative financial incentives out of state and abroad. Production in L.A. County also took a hit following devastating wildfires in January. Meanwhile, the amount of employment in the creator economy is trending up, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. Total workers in the L.A. County creator economy, composed of businesses such as media streaming distribution services and social networks, as well as independent artists, writers and performers, increased 5% to 70,012 from 2022 to 2024, LAEDC said. Companies in the creator economy space also increased 5% to 46,425 businesses during the same time period, according to LAEDC. The bleak job market has caused more people who have worked in traditional studio and TV networks to apply for jobs at digital media companies that produce content for platforms such as YouTube or work with influencers who are growing their staffs. The migration reflects changing realities in the business. Consumers' habits have shifted, where more people are watching YouTube on TV screens these days instead of on smartphones in the U.S., eating into territory held by broadcast and cable television. Video creators have adapted, building production teams and expanding into podcasts, merchandise and sometimes scoring streaming deals. For example, one of YouTube's top creators, Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has a reality competition show on Amazon Prime Video, sells products such as Feastables chocolates and has brand partnerships and sponsorships. His North Carolina holding company, Beast Industries, employs more than 500 people. Kyle Hjelmeseth, chief executive of talent representation firm G&B Digital Management, said he is receiving more calls from people coming with traditional media backgrounds seeking collaborations with influencers. 'Five years ago, it would have been very different,' he said. 'Anytime that somebody from Hollywood or the entertainment complex talked about creators, it was with such a different lens ... a little bit like nose in the air.' His company, which has 25 contractors, part-time and full time employees, added four people last month with plans to hire more. 'All the pressures of what's happening in Hollywood and the growth of the creator economy [are] crashing into each other in this moment, and that's why we're having a conversation about jobs, because there's such a shift in the energy, and we're certainly feeling it,' he said. Pave Studios launched last year with fewer than 10 employees and now has grown to 67 contractors and employees. Part of that growth is fueled by the increasing audience for its videos and podcasts available on platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The company is hiring for roles including executive producers, with a pay range of $95,000 to $145,000, depending on the show, said founder Max Cutler. 'As we grow and as the business becomes more complicated, you need more specialists and more people,' Cutler said. 'Video is definitely a leading growth area for us.' Jen Passovoy joined Pave Studios in January as a producer, after working for 10 years at Paramount on competition series such as 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'Ink Master.' 'Coming from a traditional TV background, I was drawn to how nimble and audience-focused the company is,' Passovoy said in an email. 'There's less red tape and more room to actually create. You get the energy of a startup with the same high-quality content you'd expect from a major studio.' Passovoy, 34, said the job market for traditional studio and TV network workers is really tough right now. 'I know more people out of work right now than working, which says a lot,' she said. 'The traditional TV model just doesn't exist in the same way anymore. Budgets are shrinking and the jobs that used to be steady aren't there. There have been so many layoffs across the industry, and it's forced a lot of incredibly talented people to rethink how and where they create.' Skills that people develop in traditional studio and TV roles can translate to digital-first roles, including video editors for influencers and digital media companies, industry observers said. The creator economy also has more specialized roles, such as thumbnail designers — people who create the images used to tease videos on sites including YouTube. Those jobs can pay six figures annually, as they can be instrumental for getting audiences to click on those videos. Roster, a hiring platform that lists job postings in the creator space, said the number of employers signing up to hire on the site has increased by nearly 80% from January to June 2025. Based on a sampling of 1,430 creator job posts in 2025, Roster said the most popular open position was video editor (representing 42.5%), followed by thumbnail designer (16.1%) and producer (10.6%). There are downsides. Not all jobs are full-time. Many creators opt to hire freelancers. 'Their production needs need to expand and shrink like an accordion,' said Sherry Wong, CEO of Roster. 'That's why we see a lot of creators, even if they're really big established creators, they are hiring freelancers, contractors, and being able to keep it as lean as possible.' With so many people looking for work, there's intense competition for those jobs, and the ways to apply can be creative and involved. Miami-based creator Jenny Hoyos found freelancers through a hiring challenge she hosted on Roster. Applicants were given 10 minutes of raw video footage and instructed to edit it down to a video short, roughly 30 to 60 seconds long. Hoyos, 20, requested that applicants create a final product that was engaging, cohesive and matched her specific style. She received more than 100 submissions. While there were strong contenders from California, the winners ended up being from Brazil and India. They became her two go-to freelancers, who she said are essentially working an amount equivalent to full-time editors. This method of seeking talent was Hoyos' way of making sure the people she brought on to her team were willing to go the extra mile, she said. Those hoping to break into the digital media world don't necessarily have to have grown up with YouTube and social media like she did, but they do have to 'commit to being addicted to watching' content, she said. Not everyone who works for YouTube creators gets paid. Screenwriter Natalie Badillo isn't earning a salary while she tries to build up an audience on YouTube. Badillo, who sold a self-titled project to HBO Max a few years ago, said she was looking for a way to 'not wait 8 billion years for a TV show to get picked up,' and creating a YouTube channel, 'Great Job Nat,' was a way to get her material out into the world. 'Why wait for somebody to throw you a party when you can just throw your own party?' she said. Badillo draws on her connections with folks from the traditional film and TV world to produce the YouTube videos. While the channel is getting up and running, collaborators work for low pay or simply for the fun of it and to gain experience. Still, her ambitions are big. 'I want to be the Jon Stewart of the West,' she said. The pay disparities can be an issue for people from traditional media industries looking for jobs. While some programs featuring influencers and vertical excerpts of TV shows and movies are covered by union agreements, other projects don't have those protections. 'With temporary hiring, it's like everything else in Hollywood — you either need to have another job that balances things out or you need to get to a critical mass of enough work on enough different projects,' said Kevin Klowden, executive director at Milken Institute Finance. 'The number of sustainable Hollywood jobs has shrunk.' But as the two worlds collide, traditional media companies are already paying attention to the popularity of creator shows and are trying to find ways to partner with influencers. Amazon earlier this year announced more seasons of MrBeast's reality competition series 'Beast Games,' and digital media companies are adding people with traditional media backgrounds to their staffs. 'It's still a lot more tiptoeing,' Hjelmeseth said. 'Everybody's kind of like looking at each other from across the room, like, 'Should we dance?''
Los Angeles Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Medical Manufacturing Technologies Acquires Comco
Medical Manufacturing Technologies (MMT), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management and a leading global provider of automated, process-driven medical device manufacturing solutions, has announced the acquisition of Burbank-based Comco, a recognized leader in the micro-precision sandblasting sector. This strategic move is set to significantly enhance MMT's abrasive technology offerings while expanding its microblasting capabilities. Established in 1965, Comco is a leading company in the microblasting space, a technique utilized for deburring, texturing, cleaning and modifying part surfaces. As the creators of the award-winning MicroBlaster, Comco has gained the trust of industry professionals in medical manufacturing, microelectronics, precision machining and aerospace, positioning itself as the premier partner for microblasting solutions. Commenting on the acquisition, Robbie Atkinson, CEO of MMT, said, 'We are thrilled to expand our range of comprehensive manufacturing solutions with the acquisition of Comco. This new partnership will strengthen our position as a trusted end-to-end provider of medical and specialized industrial manufacturing services and solutions worldwide. Comco's commitment to quality products, exceptional customer support and outstanding technical assistance aligns perfectly with MMT's dedication to innovation and customer care, ultimately helping customers achieve success.' Comco's MicroBlaster operates by uniformly mixing clean, dry air with abrasive particles as small as 17.5 microns. The mixture is propelled through a nozzle tip at high velocity, resulting in a tightly focused and easily controlled abrasive stream. This state-of-the-art technology enables consistent microblasting parameters, ensuring a high level of repeatability and providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly manufacturing method. 'We're thrilled to announce our collaboration with MMT, a trusted leader in automated, process-driven manufacturing,' stated Colin Weightman, president of Comco. 'By combining our unique strengths and expertise, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions that will enhance the customer experience and propel the manufacturing industry towards new heights of success.' Weightman will assume the role of technical sales director, contributing to the growth of MMT's abrasive technologies while also strengthening partnerships and promoting ongoing innovation in microblasting to solve manufacturing challenges. Information was sourced from Businesswire. Learn more by contacting
