About
Since our founding in 1977, MGA has been dedicated to advancing safety and driving technological progress through our comprehensive testing services and innovative equipment solutions.
Driving Safety Through Innovation
At MGA, our mission is to advance safety and innovation through world-class testing services and equipment solutions. We envision a future where our expertise contributes to safer, more reliable products across automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. Our commitment to this vision drives us to constantly innovate, adapt, and exceed expectations in everything we do.
Our Locations
MGA operates a network of state-of-the-art facilities across North America to serve our clients' diverse needs.
Lincoln, AL
Located 45 miles east of Birmingham and 106 miles west of Atlanta, the Lincoln facility serves both the Automotive and Space/Defense industries. This location specializes in full vehicle crash testing, vehicle safety, automotive interiors/exteriors, and aerospace/defense testing, working seamlessly with other MGA labs to provide comprehensive testing solutions.
Hughson, CA
The Hughson facility supports automotive and aerospace development efforts throughout the West Coast. This location leads MGA's companywide pedestrian protection testing initiatives.
Ontario, Canada
MGA's first international facility is located in Mississauga, Ontario, just 20 miles from downtown Toronto and 7 miles from Toronto Pearson International Airport. The Ontario team supports the Canadian Automotive and Aerospace industries with capabilities ranging from component testing to full vehicle and aircraft analysis.
Troy, MI (Executive)
The Troy campus is situated in the heart of the automotive industry. Located 20 miles from downtown Detroit and 35 miles from Detroit International Airport, this facility serves the overall Automotive OEM and Supplier base. A large range of services are provided including safety, life cycle, vibration, fatigue, materials, fixture build, and full vehicle durability testing.
Holly, MI
The Holly laboratory in Michigan features full-service battery testing, life cycle, environmental and fixture build. Located approximately an hour north of Detroit, the team at Holly specializes in UN 38.3 testing, mechanical shock, abuse, and other specific battery evaluations.
Troy, MI (Maple)
MGA's Maple Road laboratory offers specialized service oriented towards heavy vehicle development including automotive SUVs, large trucks, buses, agricultural, military and other specialized transport equipment. Capabilities include MTS 329 chassis durability, heavy duty MAST, large 4 or 6 post durability, direct-couple multi-cylinder fatigue, specialized dynamometer testing, and integrated engineering support.
Akron, NY (Testing Services & HQ)
MGA's Akron laboratory offers specialized testing services to the space, battery, and defense industries. Key capabilities include a full suite of battery evaluation including UN 38.3, vibration, environmental, and abuse testing. Space services include Pyroshock and vibration testing.
Akron, NY (Fabrication)
MGA's Akron Fabrication Center designs and builds an array of test equipment dedicated to the needs of MGA's labs as well as customer labs. The equipment is primarily focused on the automotive, space, and military industries. The types of equipment include static and dynamic safety systems, sled and crash facilities, environmental chambers, and Pyroshock test systems.
Greer, SC
Situated 16 miles east of Greenville and 3 miles from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, the South Carolina facility serves the southeast automotive corridor. This location supports OEMs and suppliers with comprehensive testing capabilities including seating, interiors, exteriors, vibration, and materials testing.
Irving, TX
The Irving facility, located 10 miles northwest of Dallas, serves as a hub for aircraft seating and interior testing, while also supporting local and Mexican automotive customers. This location's integration with MGA's laboratory network ensures rapid response to customer needs and timelines across the region.
Manassas, VA
The Manassas facility, located 30 miles southwest of Washington DC, specializes in Child Restraint Systems and pyrotechnic shock testing. This location serves as MGA's centralized hub for Military testing initiatives.
Burlington, WI
Located 65 miles northwest of Chicago and 40 miles southwest of Milwaukee, the Wisconsin facility specializes in automotive and battery testing. This location features full vehicle crash testing, automotive sled testing, battery abuse testing, commercial vehicle testing, and full vehicle durability testing on its proving grounds.
Querétaro, Mexico
MGA's newest facility in Querétaro was chosen for its central location in the Mexican automotive market. Opened in 2025, this location focuses on automotive component durability, materials testing, environmental testing, and safety validation.
A Legacy of Innovation
For over four decades, MGA has been at the forefront of safety testing and equipment solutions. Our timeline highlights the key achievements and expansions that have made us a trusted partner in automotive, aerospace, and defense industries.
1960s
The foundations of MGA were laid as founders Patrick Miller, Jim Greene, and Rudy Arendt gained expertise in transportation safety research at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory.
1960s
Our Roots
MGA Research Corporation has a history in which all associates take pride. Although the official founding occurred during the infamous “Blizzard of ‘77” in western New York, the roots of MGA really date back to the careers of the MGA founders.
The story behind MGA begins in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. At this time, the three founders, Patrick Miller, Jim Greene, and Rudy Arendt (the “M”, “G”, and “A”), all worked at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (which later became Calspan Corporation). During the fifties and sixties, Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory was one of the leading independent organizations in the emerging field of highway safety. Work on projects such as the Cornell/Liberty Mutual Safety Vehicle, which is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, was representative of the research taking place at Cornell during this period.
The areas of interest to each of these individuals set the stage for their roles at MGA. Pat Miller received his Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics from Michigan State University. At Calspan, he was the Assistant Department Head for Transportation Safety Research. One of his more important projects was the Research Safety Vehicle (or RSV). The development of this vehicle was sponsored by the Department of Transportation and was a joint activity between Calspan and Chrysler Corporation. The vehicle was designed with many of the safety features commonly seen in today’s vehicles, including crush zones, advanced braking systems, automatic restraints and airbags.
Rudy Arendt obtained his degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rudy’s main area of expertise dealt with instrumentation and test systems. One of his major achievements was the installation and commissioning of a full-scale crash test facility. This facility is still in operation at Calspan.
Jim Greene completed an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and was involved in various crashworthiness research studies being conducted at Calspan.
1977 to 1983
MGA Research Corporation was officially founded, expanding from a small leased office to a 5,000 square foot facility and establishing key relationships with NHTSA.
1977 to 1983
Business Expansion
These three individuals were the founders and first associates of MGA. The company began with an initial investment of $1,000 and operated out of 900 square feet of leased office space located near the Buffalo International Airport. As the company grew, more associates were hired. In 1977, one of the founders, Jim Greene, left to pursue other interests. At that time, Pat and Rudy purchased Jim’s financial interest in the company.
Starting with the first few years, a pattern of business expansion and re-investment in the company was established. The first facility investment was the purchase of a copy machine. This event is considered significant, it established the principle of purchasing equipment to provide highly competitive services. This principle is evident throughout the organization today as shown by the vast array of test systems and other facilities owned by the company.
In 1980, a significant decision was made to move the company from leased office space to a location which had both office and laboratory areas. The new facility was part of a larger building that consisted of a total of 5,000 square feet. At this time, a move was made into the testing services area. Among the first services provided were vibration and shock testing. One of the first customers was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) who wanted to conduct auto safety structural testing to determine compliance to the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 207 and 210. The machine used to conduct the FMVSS 207/210 testing was designed and fabricated in-house and the project with NHTSA started a relationship which is, to this day, still very strong.
The last half of the eighties was a period of rapid change. There was a movement by the company towards the expansion of facilities and the development of an international customer base. Although Pat and Rudy did not have a carefully orchestrated business plan, they did adhere to the fundamental principles which were established early on in the company.
During the mid-eighties, the development of an international customer base began with testing for various Korean auto manufacturers. These Korean manufacturers were in need of test and analysis services, equipment, and training. Both Pat and Rudy traveled to Korea several times and started to build relationships with numerous Korean engineers. In addition, the company began installing safety test systems in Korea. Today, a strong MGA presence exists in the Korean automobile test market and many of the relationships that were developed during the eighties are still going strong today.
1984
MGA purchased its current headquarters in Akron, New York, opened the Fabrication Center, and developed a strong reputation in auto safety testing while expanding internationally.
1984
In 1984, the current corporate headquarters in Akron, New York, was purchased. Soon thereafter, the Fabrication Center was opened approximately one mile from headquarters. The company was unique because it was a small business, yet it was cultivating a strong reputation in the auto safety industry. In addition to the work done with the Korean market, a stronger relationship with other foreign and domestic manufacturers was developing. This was done primarily through work conducted at a test laboratory located at the company’s headquarters. The capabilities of this laboratory included environmental and structural testing. The facility included roof crush, side door crush, seat and seat belt anchorage test systems, as well as a full vehicle static crush test machine. All of the structural test equipment was developed by MGA and the purpose of the laboratory was two-fold; to provide testing services to the industry, and to serve as an evaluator for new equipment designs. The use of testing laboratories as an “internal proving grounds” for new equipment designs is another fundamental principle of the company that has been practiced for many years.
One of the more important projects conducted during the mid-eighties was for the Motor Vehicle Manufacturer’s Association (MVMA), which later became the American Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (AAMA). The project was directed towards the development of test procedures related to what is now FMVSS 214D – Side Impact Protection. The test plan included a series of FMVSS 214 crash tests, but at this time the company did not have either crash or sled testing facilities. As a result these tests were done on a sub-contractor basis at another facility. Based upon this and other potential projects, a decision was made to provide both crash and sled testing services to the industry.
1988
MGA acquired the former AMC Proving Grounds in Wisconsin, significantly expanding its testing capabilities and establishing a pattern of locally-operated facilities.
Read More →1988
In 1987, Chrysler Corporation bought the automaker American Motors Company (AMC). Soon after, Chrysler closed the former AMC Proving Grounds and put the facility up for sale. The Proving Grounds were situated on 400 acres and included an entire test track and an indoor crash test facility. After months of negotiation, MGA purchased the facility from Chrysler in October 1988. The first goal after purchasing the Proving Grounds was to bring the crash facility back on-line. Associates from New York spent the first few months in Wisconsin working on the new facility. By the end of 1988, limited crash tests were being conducted and an accelerator sled was added. Presently, the entire staff at the Proving Grounds is all from Wisconsin. In fact, all MGA facilities are still fully operated by local people. This has resulted in each of the facilities having a culture which is partially influenced by local traditions with strong ties to surrounding communities.
As the eighties came to a close, the company was establishing a strong reputation in the transportation safety field. With the addition of the Proving Grounds and the development of the Fabrication Center, MGA was a very different company than what was started ten years earlier. The momentum gained in the late eighties in the area of safety testing services and equipment continued into the next decade. At this point MGA was expanding into non-safety related automotive testing such as durability and other quality related issues.
A stronger presence was developed in the Detroit area through the opening of a test laboratory in Madison Heights, Michigan in August 1992. The initial services offered included safety related structural testing such as full vehicle crush testing and seat belt anchorage testing. The organization in Michigan grew from just a sales and marketing group to a technical staff offering many types of services housed in a 170,000 sq. foot laboratory. Today, a full range of component-level testing services including static, dynamic, durability, vibration, and accelerator sled testing is offered at our test laboratory located in Troy, Michigan.
1990s and 2000s
MGA diversified its services to include traditional vehicle development work, expanded crash and sled testing capabilities, and established a strong presence in the Detroit area.
Read More →1990s and 2000s
The nineties also marked the start of more traditional vehicle development work at the Proving Grounds. Test services such as mileage accumulation, durability testing, brake testing, and vehicle dynamics evaluation rounded out the MGA offerings. One of the first major projects dealt with the development of drive line and chassis systems for a sport utility vehicle. This project consisted of various full-scale durability tests, ride and handling analysis, and other quality related tests. Meanwhile, the crash and sled testing services provided out of the Proving Grounds continued to expand. During this time, a wide range of crash test procedures were developed and equipment was installed to conduct sled testing on aircraft seats. This resulted in an entirely new customer base comprised of aircraft manufacturers and suppliers.
The Fabrication Center was also diversifying into different types of equipment. One of the new equipment items was an accelerator sled, which was first installed at the test laboratories in Michigan. The Fabrication Center also took the lead on developing novel test equipment for recent safety standards such as FMVSS 226, rollover crash solutions, and a number of innovative products related to sled testing. Today, the Fabrication Center serves a worldwide customer base with a diverse range of products related to durability, safety, and quality related issues.
2010s
MGA expanded across North America with new facilities in South Carolina, Virginia, Canada, Texas, and Alabama, and grew beyond safety testing into crash facilities, battery laboratories, and aerospace and defense programs.
Read More →2010s
The decade between 2009 and 2019 marked a transformative period for MGA as we expanded our footprint and capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our customers. New facilities were established in South Carolina, Virginia, Canada, Texas, and Alabama, extending MGA's presence across North America while bringing testing services closer to the industries we support. During this time, MGA broadened its expertise beyond traditional automotive safety testing through investments in vehicle crash facilities, battery testing laboratories, aerospace and defense programs, and advanced proving ground infrastructure. These developments strengthened our position as a trusted independent testing partner, recognized for delivering innovative solutions, technical excellence, and responsive customer service.
The Wisconsin Operation is widely recognized as the world leading, independent organization specializing in vehicle safety. In 2014, our third full scale crash facility, all located on the 400 acre grounds, was commissioned. In July 2017, the Wisconsin operations suffered a flood to the original crash site and main crash operation. Within several days, all operations were consolidated to the other crash labs onsite. Within one month, plans for an additional 45,000 sq. ft vehicle preparation, covered runways, and customer facilities were completed. Within 2 months construction had started, and in June 2018 this fully indoor facility was re-dedicated as our Vehicle Safety Center.
During the 2017 timeframe, vehicle crash testing was also expanded to our Alabama location. Together with the Wisconsin operations, MGA today is able to offer an industry crash capacity of 1200+ annual tests. The crash facilities at MGA feature many unique and innovative approaches that are vital to the crashworthiness development of a vehicle. These approaches relate to issues pertaining to rollover, specialized frontal/side impact modes, airbag sensor development, and global regulations.
As transportation technologies continued to advance, MGA remained focused on anticipating emerging industry needs. From supporting vehicle electrification through expanded battery testing capabilities to growing our aerospace, defense, and space testing programs, we invested in the resources, facilities, and expertise needed to help customers navigate new challenges. Building on a foundation of safety, innovation, and service, MGA entered the next decade prepared to support the future of mobility, connectivity, and advanced transportation systems.
Since 2020
MGA opened new facilities in California and Querétaro, Mexico, and expanded its battery, ADAS, aerospace, and full-vehicle durability capabilities, including the acquisition of large-scale structural and dynamic testing operations in Troy, Michigan.
Read More →Since 2020
The years from 2020 through 2026 marked another significant chapter in MGA's growth as we expanded both our geographic reach and technical capabilities to support the rapidly evolving transportation industry. During this period, MGA established a new facility in California in 2022, strengthening support for customers on the West Coast, and expanded internationally once again with the opening of a facility in Querétaro, Mexico in 2025. Alongside these additions, MGA continued investing in battery testing, active safety and ADAS validation, aerospace and defense programs, and advanced engineering services to meet the demands of emerging vehicle technologies. MGA also broadened its capabilities through major investments in materials testing, sound and vibration analysis, and full-vehicle durability testing, including the acquisition of large-scale structural and dynamic testing operations in Troy, Michigan. These developments strengthened MGA's position as one of North America's leading independent testing organizations and expanded our ability to support customers closer to where they design, manufacture, and validate their products.
As mobility technologies continue to evolve, MGA remains focused on helping customers navigate the challenges of tomorrow. Whether supporting electric vehicle development, active safety validation, advanced materials characterization, commercial vehicle durability, aerospace qualification programs, or next-generation testing methodologies, our commitment remains unchanged: to deliver innovative testing solutions, trusted technical expertise, and exceptional customer service. Building on nearly five decades of growth and innovation, MGA is well positioned to support the future of transportation, safety, and product development across industries.
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