Three years after acquiring the company, Andrew Massard and Mike Starr are recognized for growth, manufacturing investment, and skilled job creation in Taunton.
American Insulated Panel (AIP) has been named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2026 Small Manufacturer of the Year for Massachusetts. The recognition covers what the company has built since President Andrew Massard and Vice President Mike Starr acquired AIP in August 2023 through the SBA 7(a) loan program, and it reflects three years of steady investment in domestic manufacturing, skilled jobs, and customer relationships across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
AIP designs and manufactures high-performance insulated metal panel (IMP) systems for cold storage, food processing, pharmaceutical and life-science facilities, grocery and convenience stores, and other commercial and industrial applications where thermal performance, sanitation, and durability are critical. Every panel is engineered and built in Taunton, Massachusetts, and that has been a deliberate choice. Manufacturing locally gives customers tighter quality control, shorter lead times, and a dependable supply chain, and it lets the engineering team meet demanding project specifications, including tight tolerances and the regulatory requirements that come with food, pharma, and life-science work.
Since the acquisition, the company has reinvested in its Taunton facility with new CNC metal cutting and folding equipment and has added three skilled manufacturing jobs. Service coverage has grown from New England only to include parts of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, and the team continues to work directly with owners, architects, general contractors, and specialty installers to deliver panel systems that integrate cleanly into complex builds. Long-standing customers, including The Italian Kitchen, Cape Cod Café, City Fresh Foods, Elior North America, and several regional bread distribution companies, have stayed with AIP through the transition and the growth that followed.
“The SBA and the 7(a) loan program allowed us to purchase American Insulated Panel with confidence and the resources we needed to succeed,” said Andrew Massard. “This journey has been worthwhile and we’re excited to share this honor with our employees, family, and business partners.”
Massard and Starr were nominated by Kathleen Kelly, SVP and Senior Relationship Manager, Government Guaranteed Lending at Webster Bank, and will be honored at the National Small Business Week Massachusetts Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Boston Marriott in Newton. The recognition is welcome, but the focus going forward is unchanged: build better panels in Massachusetts, support the people who build them, and keep delivering dependable systems to the customers who rely on them.
About American Insulated Panel
American Insulated Panel manufactures custom insulated metal panel systems for cold storage, food and beverage processing, life sciences, retail, and industrial construction. All panels are engineered and produced in Taunton, Massachusetts. Learn more at aipanel.com.
