Staff report

Ashore Manufacturing Group, headquartered in Berlin Center, has completed its acquisition of Concept-4, a precision machine shop focused on tool and die operations with deep roots in the Mahoning Valley.

The transaction marks a new chapter for the business, with full retention of existing staff, continuation of all current operations and a roadmap for modernization and growth.

The company, in a news release earlier this week, said the acquisition was led by Zachary Woods and Chris Thomas, Ashore’s founder.

Concept-4 was owned by Mike Pence Sr., a lifelong machinist and diemaker who built the shop. After establishing a registered apprenticeship program and training his own son, Mike Pence Jr., Mike Sr. said he is retiring with the knowledge that the business he built is in capable hands.

“I gave my life to this trade,” he said. “Chris and my son went to grade school together, so handing this to Zack and Chris is not something I take lightly, but the future of this shop is bright.”

Pence Jr. will remain with Ashore Manufacturing as the machinist and diemaker coordinator.

A Canfield resident, Woods attended Ursuline High School and studied infrastructure finance at Cornell University.

“The Mahoning Valley built this country’s industrial backbone, and it is time to bring this area back to the forefront to once again lead the charge in American manufacturing,” Woods said. “We are here to invest in the right technology and the right people.”

Thomas is from the Berlin Center area. He served in Army intelligence in Iraq and worked in defense contracting in Washington, D.C., with Northrop Grumman and other firms.

He later took over Tri-County Tower, a telecom tower construction business focused on government contracts throughout Ohio, as its owner and CEO.

“Supply chain resilience is a national security issue, and the answer starts with domestic manufacturing capability,” Thomas said. “My background in defense and contracting has shown me exactly where the gaps are, and at Ashore, we are positioned to fill them.”

The company is working with The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network on its AS9100 certification path. These credentials will allow Ashore to layer defense production subcontracting on top of its established tool and die and precision machining foundation, creating a more diversified and resilient business.

Ashore is also engaging with the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber, the Mahoning Valley

Manufacturers Coalition, Youngstown State University and local career and technical centers on education, hiring and research initiatives that support workforce development and long-term regional growth.