Hatch Product Development & Contract Manufacturing, a Chicago-area contract manufacturer specializing in product development and manufacturing for emerging and established hardware companies, has been named Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year at the 2026 Fourth Revolution Awards, hosted by mHUB.
The award recognizes a small or mid-sized manufacturer that has demonstrated excellence in business practices, innovative processes, productivity improvements, and contributions to the local manufacturing community. Hatch was selected as the winner from a group of five finalists and honored during an awards ceremony held at Venue West in Chicago on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Hosted by mHUB, the Fourth Revolution Awards celebrate organizations shaping the future of manufacturing as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where physical product development converges with digital technologies such as automation, cloud computing, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and connected hardware.
“Hatch was founded on the belief that innovative hardware companies need engineering and manufacturing working together from day one,” said Addison Merchut, Co-President and Co-Founder of Hatch. “We are proud to help bring new technologies to market and honored to be recognized by mHUB alongside so many companies advancing the future of manufacturing.”
“Hatch represents the new generation of manufacturers that are bridging product development and production,” said Haven Allen, CEO and Co-Founder of mHUB. “Their work helps hardware innovators bring complex products to market faster while strengthening the region’s manufacturing ecosystem.”
Located just outside Chicago, Hatch provides end-to-end support for hardware companies, including product design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing setup, supply chain development, and contract manufacturing. The company works with startups and established organizations across industries including medical technology, consumer products, industrial IoT, fitness technology, automotive systems, and connected devices.
Hatch’s manufacturing capabilities include low- to high-volume production, engineering pilot builds, environmental stress screening, manufacturing test development, cable assembly, manufacturing tooling, product certification testing, and full supply chain management.
The company has grown rapidly since its founding, building a global engineering team and an ISO-certified manufacturing operation that supports complex product launches.
Hatch extends its gratitude to the judges for the Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year category:
- Emily Souza Rutkowski, VP of Strategic Initiatives & PMO, World Business Chicago
- Adrienne McFarland, Center Director, Illinois SBDC at Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Bob Daniel-Wayman, Engineer In Residence, mHUB
About Hatch Product Development
Hatch Product Development is a global product development and manufacturing firm with the business acumen, industry network, and combined engineering experience to produce products for a wide variety of highly-regulated industries in accelerated timelines. Located just outside of Chicago with an international team, Hatch offers a full range of services to bring your product from concept to production. Comprised of a team who has over 25 years of product development and manufacturing experience and a modern top-tier vendor network, Hatch is passionate about efficiently hatching new products with passionate entrepreneurs and visionary leaders.
