here. - Invotec Engineering

8
Dayton BuSineSS Journal
StrategIeS
bizjournals.com/dayton
dayton.bizjournals.com
MARCH 18, 2011
Invotec
reengineers
company
Invotec reengineers
company
growth g
nBy
byBrittany
Brittany
Hart
n
Hart
DBJstaff
Staffreporter
Reporter
dbj
John Hanna has a goal for his busiJohn Hanna has a goal for his business:
ness:
double its size in the next five
double its size in the next five years.
years.
The CEO of Invotec Engineering Inc. said
CEO30,000-square-foot
of Invotec Engineering
theThe
business’
facility will
be
60,000-square-feet
and its
Inc.extended
said theto business’
30,000-squareemployee base will jump from 50 to 100.
foot
facility will be extended to
The goal appears reachable. The
60,000-square-feet
and company
its employee
Miamisburg manufacturing
has
base booming
will jump
50year.
to 100.
been
in from
the past
It grew revenue
and expanded
from 35The
to
The40 percent
goal appears
reachable.
50 employees. Now it is hiring another five
Springboro manufacturing company
employees this year.
has
beenofficials
booming
in key
thetopast
Invotec
said the
theiryear.
recentIt
success
has been
a company
overhaul
grew revenue
40 percent
and expanded
itfrom
made
At the time,Now
the business
35into2009.
50 employees.
it is hirhad been reeling from economic woes. To
ing
another
five
employees
this
year.
rebound, it enlisted two consulting businessInvotec
officials
said
the
key
to their
es who advised changes in its management
structure,
reconfigured
its
hiring
methods
recent success has been a company
and
updated
sales and
marketing
efforts.
overhaul
it its
made
in 2009.
At the
time,
Invotec — a shortened spin on the terms
the
business
had
been
reeling
innovation and technology — designs from
and
economic woes.
To rebound,
it enlisted
manufactures
customized
assembly,
inspection
test systems.
Its customers
comes
two and
consulting
businesses
who advised
from
the medical,
defense
aerochanges
in its automotive,
management
structure,
space and consumer industries. Medical
reconfigured
its hiring
methods
and
device
manufacturing
and testing
is the comupdated
its segment.
sales and marketing efforts.
pany’s
largest
AInvotec
big part —
of Invotec’s
growthspin
stemson
from
a shortened
the
problem
solving. For and
example,
a company
terms innovation
technology
—
will come to Invotec with an issue about
designs and
customized
developing
or manufactures
manufacturing its
product.
assembly,
inspection
and test
systems.
Invotec’s
team
first discusses
the problem
with
the customer,
to
Its customers
comeasking
from questions
the medical,
understand
the
issue
and
the
business’
enviautomotive, defense aerospace and
ronment to find out what is distracting the
consumer
industries. process.
Medical device
design
and manufacturing
manufacturing
and testing
is the comThen Invotec’s engineers
and designers
use
3D
computer
technology
to design a custom
pany’s
largest
segment.
device
to solve
theInvotec’s
problem. That
device
is
A big
part of
growth
stems
then manufactured, tested, debugged and
from problem
solving.facility.
For example, a
installed
in the customers’
company
will come to Invotec with an
Overall, Invotec:
• Produces
products; or manufacturissue
aboutnew
developing
• Develops new processes;
ing its product. Invotec’s team first dis• Improves a product or process;
cusses
the problem
with theand
customer,
• Decreases
rejected material;
asking
questions
to understand the
• Increases
process capability.
The and
business
handles several
hundredto
issue
the business’
environment
projects per year that range from three to
find out what is distracting the design
20 weeks to complete and from $1,000 to
and manufacturing
process.
$100,000
in cost. Project
examples include
medical
assembly engineers
and testing sysThen device
Invotec’s
and
tems and vehicle airbag testing systems.
Hanna declined to name Invotec’s cus-
Invotec engIneerIng
contact: John hanna, ceo
Address: 10909 industry lane, miamisburg 45342
Phone: (937) 886-3232
Web: invotec.com
Business: Designs and makes custom assembly,
inspection and test systems
designers
use 3D reasons.
computer
tomers
for confidentiality
technology to design a custom
Overcoming
device to obstacles
solve the problem. That
device
is
then
manufactured, testInvotec got its start in 1993 by Hanna and
ed,
debugged
andcompany’s
installedchief
in the
Daryl Greywitt, the
operating
officer. facility.
customers’
Since
its inception,
Overall,
Invotec: Invotec steadily grew
revenue by 21 percent each year until 2006,
• Produces new products;
when it peaked at 50 employees.
• Develops
“We
hit a bricknew
wallprocesses;
in 2006,” Hanna said.
Orders
began
dry uporamid
the down
• Improves a to
product
process;
economy
and
Invotec
struggled
to
find
• Decreases rejected material; and qualified employees that were the right fit for its
• Increases process capability.
company.
handles
ItThe
saw business
revenue shrink
each several
year through
2009
causing
it to cut itsper
employee
hundred
projects
year base
that to 35.
Afterwards,
company
range
from the
three
to 20 started
weeksto go
backwards in 2007, 2008 and into 2009.
toThat’s
complete
and from
Photo Courtesy Invotec
when Hanna
knew $1,000
his business
to $100,000
in cost. Project Growth Plan: John Hanna, CEO of Invotec
needed
a new strategy.
Engineering Inc., and Daryl Greywitt, COO.
In 2009, include
Invotec brought
two outexamples
medicalon
device
side
advising
Baltimore-based
assembly
andcompanies,
testing systems
and The firm grew revenue 40 percent last year and
Sandler Sales Institute and Redwood, Mich.officials have lofty goals to double sales in five
vehicle
airbag
testingtosystems.
based
CEO
Advantage,
help get back years.
on
Hanna declined to name Intrack.
Sandler customers
Sales Institutefor
consults
and trains
votec’s
confidentiality
qualified employees that were the right
companies
in
sales
techniques,
marketing,
reasons.
fit for its company.
business development and financial manIt saw revenue shrink each year
agement.
Overcoming
through 2009 causing it to cut its
CEO
Advantageobstacles
helps the leaders of midsize companies — with 50 to 2,500 employees
employee base to 35.
and
$10
million
to
$500
million
in
annual
Invotec got its start in 1993 by HanAfterwards, the company started to
revenue — build their organizations through
na
and
Daryl
Greywitt,
the
company’s
go
backwards in 2007, 2008 and into
clear long-term thinking, a tight strategy and
chief operating
2009.
building
a cohesiveofficer.
leadership team.
With
of the companies,
Sincetheitshelp
inception,
Invotec Invotec
steadiThat’s when Hanna knew his busitook a step back and evaluated all aspects of
ly grew revenue by 21 percent each ness needed a new strategy.
its business — from sales and marketing to
year until
2006, when it peaked at 50 Growth
In 2009,
Invotec brought on two outbusiness
development.
Plan: john Hanna, Ceo of Invotec engineering
employees.
sidegrew
advising
companies,
BaltimoreThe result of the assessment was a comfirm
revenue 40
percent last year
and officials have l
plete
overhaul
of howwall
the business
operated,
“We
hit a brick
in 2006,”
Hanna based Sandler Sales Institute and Redan
tions and ensure the candidate’s core valfrom the management structure to how it
said.
wood, Mich.-based CEO Advantage, to said
to chan
ues matched Invotec. New tests to measure
hired employees and marketed to customers.
Ordershired
began
to managers
dry up amid
down applicants’
help get back
track. and attitude also tions. A
skills,on
aptitude
Invotec
new
andthe
employutilized.Sales
Previously,
short interviews
ees
based on
its Invotec
companystruggled
culture. The
economy
and
tonew
find were
Sandler
Institute
consultsand
and place, t
hiring system involved manager training on
how to ask better employee interview ques-
no testing was done.
Dave Dudon, an advisor at CEO Advantage,
invotec: Firm may add sales offices
trains companies in sales techniques,
marketing, business development and
financial management.
CEO Advantage helps the leaders of
mid-size companies — with 50 to 2,500
employees and $10 million to $500
million in annual revenue — build their
organizations through clear long-term
thinking, a tight strategy and building a
cohesive leadership team.
With the help of the companies,
Invotec took a step back and evaluated
all aspects of its business — from sales
and marketing to business development.
The result of the assessment was a
complete overhaul of how the business operated, from the management
structure to how it hired employees and
marketed to customers.
Invotec hired new managers and
employees based on its company culture. The new hiring system involved
manager training on how to ask better employee interview questions and
ensure the candidate’s core values
matched Invotec. New tests to measure
applicants’ skills, aptitude and attitude
also were utilized. Previously, short
interviews and no testing was done.
Dave Dudon, an advisor at CEO
Advantage, said an obstacle companies
face when trying to change is putting
people in the right positions. And once
a management structure is in place, the
key is to help the group gel.
For Invotec, the leadership team,
along with Dudon, held quarterly offsite meetings and annual strategic
planning sessions. The leaders partici-
Photo Courtesy Invotec
Rebounding: Invotec Engineering operates a 30,000-square-foot facility in
Miamisburg.Company officials plan to double its space and revenue in the next five
years.
pated in teambuilding exercises and set
priorities toward the company’s goals.
Dudon said the final key to the company’s success was its leaders holding
each other accountable throughout the
year as they strived to reach goals.
Invotec also launched a sales and marketing plan to better inform customers
how the business worked. A new Web
site highlighted the plan, communicating
to customers the problems Invotec solves,
tools it uses and solutions it provides.
Then its sales team sought out companies in select industries — particularly
the medical, automotive and consumer
fields. And the recent opening of the
new Austin Pike and Interstate 75 interchange also has positioned the business
well to serve these customers.
With a clear new mission, Invotec
looks to steadily add to its employee
base and build revenue back to its 2006
peak and beyond.
Though there are no set plans, Hanna
said the future may hold more expansion for Invotec in the form of additional sales facilities, which are now
run out of its main building.
“We like what we do,” Hanna said.
“We’re excited to grow.”
Reprinted for web use with permission from Dayton Business Journal. ©2011, all rights reserved. Reprinted exclusively by Scoop ReprintSource 1-800-767-3263.