News from: Atek Companies
Edited by: Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 15 June 2004
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Atek has formed a major new manufacturing and supply management partnership with fast-growing AbleNet of Minneapolis to produce an entire line of educational recording and playback devices used by children with severe disabilities.
Established in 1985, AbleNet designs and manufactures products that make teaching students with disabilities easier, fun and fulfilling.
The new Atek partnership with AbleNet includes manufacturing and supply management of five products with 25 variations.
The partnership is significant to both companies as both experience rapid growth.
For AbleNet, the arrangement provides broad manufacturing capabilities as it innovates new products to serve the needs of its market currently estimated at over 2 million individuals in the USA and many millions more worldwide.
For Atek, the partnership allows the company to continue its diversification plan of partnering with rapidly growing companies who are looking for an expert to take over their supply chain and manufacturing.
"We began with a single AbleNet product which had over 140 different components", reports Christy Orris, Atek CEO.
"Within 40 days of providing AbleNet with a proposal, we were able to produce and assemble all of those different components into finished product while reducing AbleNet's manufacturing costs on certain products and ensuring finished product quality of 99% or better on the entire product line".
Present volume for the AbleNet products manufactured and assembled in Atek's Brainerd facilities will exceed $1 million during the current year, according to Orris, with volume expected to double in the second year.
"We learned quickly from AbleNet that this is an underserved industry with very large potential for future growth".
"With AbleNet's creativity in developing and marketing communication devices for children with severe disabilities partnered with Atek's manufacture/assemble capabilities, we believe we have the ideal combination of strengths to make a huge contribution to the quality of life for these children", reports Orris.
Atek was founded in 1982 in Brainerd, Minnesota.
It is one of the largest woman-owned companies in the USA and has been recognised as the fourth largest diversity owned business in Minnesota.
It specialises in mechanical and electrical assemblies including products used in the medical, communications, defence, automotive and hunting industries.
Atek made two significant acquisitions in the past year.
In March it acquired selected assets from Medtronic's Cardiac Surgery Division, which it operates in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In August Atek acquired Acrometal, another contract manufacturer located in Brainerd.
Together, the operations manufacture over 1000 different products, employ over 300 people, and have annual sales in the $70 million range.
"We currently have huge growth opportunities", reports Orris.
"We are targeting customers who are product innovators and who know how to bring their products to market".
"Atek then focuses on all services in between including supply chain management, manufacturing and distribution".
"We're especially excited that we've broadened our medical manufacturing capabilities and experience to include complex medical devices and now complex recording/playback devices".
"We hope this will attract possible acquisitions as well as more manufacturing and supply chain partnerships".
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