EmbedTek LLC
Address: 1115 Cottonwood Ave., Suite 100, Hartland
Year founded: 2003
Product or service offered: EmbedTek designs and manufactures embedded computers, integrated displays and custom electronics for Original Equipment Manufacturers.
Projected 2014 revenue: $24 million
CEO: Dan Aicher
Other key members of the leadership team: Kent Tabor, president and chief technology officer; Tom Fotsch, chief operating officer; Ted Platz, vice president of sales
Target clientele: Medical, military, broadcasting, fitness and industrial equipment manufacturers.
Business organization memberships: Waukesha County Business Alliance
What has fueled your company’s growth? “EmbedTek has won new engagements with original equipment manufacturers in several markets that have and continue to launch to production. The design, validation and launch process generally takes at least one year. We were successful in winning several new customer programs in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and these programs are now launching to production, which generates the majority of EmbedTek’s revenue.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth? “There are no obstacles in the forseeable future. Our greatest difficulty is predicting the timing of the growth and ensuring that we have the necessary resources (people, facility, equipment, etc.) to support the growth.”
Do you plan to make any changes in your company in the coming months? “EmbedTek recently comitted to a new facility that is designed and will be built to our requirements. We’ll begin with 50,000 square feet, with options to expand to 100,000.”
Who are the business people, locally or nationally, whom you admire? And what traits do those people exhibit that make you admire them? “John Chambers at Cisco. He grew a company to dominate an industry and has a sharp wit and acute intellect.”
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months? “The use of embedded computers, integrated displays and custom electronics is pervasive and will remain so indefinitely. The conditions in our primary markets (military and medical) are challenging. For EmbedTek this is largely a positive as challenging conditions cause companies to examine their status quo – as a growing company calling on new potential customers, we can be that positive change agent.”
What is your company’s most important growth strategy right now? “EmbedTek’s long-term strategy is to continue to invest in our capabilities, allowing us to target new potential applications in our target market. As we win more customers, we gain the ability to invest more in our capabilities, creating a positive, sustainable cycle of investment and new customer engagements.”
