EmbedTek
1115 Cottonwood Ave., Hartland
www.embedtek.net
Industry: Technology
Employees: 75
2014 annual revenue: $23.4 million
Kent Tabor has been in the technology business since he was 23 years old. Any mistakes made early on are a thing of the past, and now, at age 54, he and his partners at Hartland-based EmbedTek are focused on growing the company through a strategic and disciplined approach.
EmbedTek manufactures complex embedded computers and integrated displays for its clients, which are mostly original equipment manufacturers, and primarily medical equipment manufacturers and industrial automotive companies.
In 2010, the company earned approximately $1 million in revenue. In 2014, it was nearly $4 million.
EmbedTek will move into a new facility this August. The company will occupy 50,000 square feet inside the 100,000-square-foot building and will have the option of expanding later on, said Tabor, founder and chief technology officer.
“I give 100 percent credit to my partners,” Tabor said. “They’re really focused on the disciplined growth and have really helped shape the culture that is driving our business.”
Owners of the company include Tabor and his partners, Dan Aicher, chief executive officer; Tom Fotsch, chief operating officer; and Ted Platz, vice president of sales.
“The culture here is so different than anything I’ve ever been involved in,” Tabor said.
The company operates under full transparency, Tabor said.
EmbedTek has monthly meetings at which everything about the company is disclosed.
“We discuss monthly sales, client feedback good or bad, and talk to everybody in the company at a peer level,” Tabor said. “Nobody here has to wonder what’s going on. Our doors are always open.”
The open door policy has shaped the culture of the company immensely.
“Individuals who worked for the management team in past lives came back, willing to work for less just so they could work with my partners again,” Tabor said. “We take that responsibility seriously. We want to make this a win for everybody. The culture is something we are very proud of, and it’s a driving force behind our company and its success.”
Tabor expects the company’s growth to continue as more and more products continue to utilize computer technology. The company is projecting nearly 30 percent growth next year, he said.
