Northfield Automation Systems (NAS), which designs, engineers and fabricates automation machinery for OEMs and high-volume manufacturers, is celebrating its 20th anniversary on September 25. The company attributes this milestone to "staying on top of technological trends and employing a global sales strategy."
“We haven’t skipped a beat,” said Mark Wegner, president of NAS. "We have continued to find opportunities to keep our business thriving, and a big part of that is staying on the cutting edge of technology and having a great team here at NAS all along."
NAS, which is based in Northfield, Minnesota, has developed turnkey automated process solutions for manufacturers in more than 22 countries. Some of these solutions include manufacturing equipment that tech companies have used to improve the functionality of touch screen devices, as well as equipment used for virtual reality technology. Examples of their custom solutions include a roll-to-roll test and vision inspection and turnkey panel automation process.
Wegner founded the company with engineers Gary Larsen and Doug Hall in 2000, and Brett Reese. Since then, sales have grown 150 percent, and NAS has provided custom solutions to more than 176 companies.
Recently the company has seen an uptick in orders from overseas, particularly in countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand, where manufacturers are investing heavily in new facilities. Wegner says it’s important to understand and predict changes in the manufacturing industry, especially as labor shortages become widespread and smart manufacturing solutions can help fill the labor gap.
