# Mark Hillenburg

> Mark Hillenburg II is the Bloomington-based co-founder and co-CEO of Collective Manufacturing Group, founded with Matthew Ritchie in 2024. His career spans a family machine shop, manufacturing business development, and aerospace leadership. Backed by Elmore Companies, Collective acquires established manufacturers with a stated buy-and-hold approach, including Simson Kovacs, Kessington Machined Products, and Columbia Manufacturing.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Collective Manufacturing Group
- **Organizations:** Collective Manufacturing Group, Kessington Machined Products, Enjet Aero, KIHM Metal Technologies, Blackland Aerospace, MSP Manufacturing, Adams & Westlake, A-True-Mark, LLC, Arcamed, Youth for Christ Southern Hills, National Defense Industrial Association - Central Indiana Chapter
- **Education:** Indiana University Bloomington, Hanover College
- **Known for:** Co-founded Collective Manufacturing Group in 2024., Collective reopened Kessington 28 days after its closure and rehired 30 original employees., Reported that Simson Kovacs’s three former owners transitioned out of daily operations within six months of acquisition.

## Career timeline

- **2006-2012** — President of A-True-Mark, LLC; early career included a machine shop co-founded with his father.
- **2012** — Business development at Adams & Westlake, followed by MSP Manufacturing.
- **2014** — Joined Kessington Machined Products in a sales leadership role.
- **2016** — Became president of Kessington Machined Products and CEO of Blackland Aerospace.
- **2019** — Became CEO of KIHM Metal Technologies.
- **2020-2023** — Served as president of Enjet Aero.
- **2024** — Co-founded Collective Manufacturing Group with Matthew Ritchie; the group acquired Simson Kovacs and reopened Kessington.
- **2025** — Columbia Manufacturing joined Collective Manufacturing.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Collective Manufacturing Group in 2024.
- Collective reopened Kessington 28 days after its closure and rehired 30 original employees.
- Reported that Simson Kovacs’s three former owners transitioned out of daily operations within six months of acquisition.
- Co-founded the NDIA Central Indiana chapter and served as vice-president from 2012 to 2014.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Praised Emily Joann Wilkins and Marketing Metal for helping tell Collective’s story and develop its brand.
- **2026-01** — Said customer demand required more than 60% growth across Collective’s three businesses in 2026; emphasized quarterly execution.
- **2025-11** — Appeared on episode 92 of Machine Shop Mastery to discuss his manufacturing career and Collective’s ownership approach.
- **2025-09** — Marked the first anniversary of the Simson Kovacs acquisition and described the former owners as friends.

## Links

- Website: https://collectivemfg.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhillenburgii

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-hillenburg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08