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News Release
ARMA Design Grows to Meet the Outsourcing Demand
SAN DIEGO, CA - Monday, April 9, 2007
It's a trend Alex McKay saw coming, and he sees even bigger things ahead for companies like his. As CEO of ARMA Design, an electronic product design and manufacturing firm, McKay has kept up with demand for outsource service providers. And he's preparing for an even busier future.
"The outsourcing trend is growing in the electronics industry. Customer demand is behind our development. It's essential to satisfy current need, but just as important to be prepared for the even greater demand still to come," says McKay.
From company headquarters in San Diego, McKay saw an opportunity. In 2006 he launched a strategic growth effort, opening of the company's first satellite office, expanding facilities and increasing staff.
"Companies are driven by the market, which demands reasonable cost and high quality. So they're partnering with firms like ARMA, who can provide what they can't get in-house: greater flexibility, improved cost effectiveness, reduced time to market and the same or better quality," McKay explains.
Outsourcing began as a cost-effective manufacturing solution that became more common in the mid 1990s. Within a few years, the concept expanded to include full-service product design as companies saw the value in outsourcing instead of bankrolling in-house engineering departments. According to an industry survey by EE Times and Electronics Supply & Manufacturing in 2005, 40 percent of the respondents said they outsourced electronic circuitry design.
Since the beginning of the year ARMA has hired new employees and additional space. In San Diego, the company has expanded manufacturing space by 25 percent and hired six new people in engineering, sales and materials management. Changes in engineering management allow McKay to concentrate on "big picture" issues such as customer service, marketing and expansion.
The ARMA Arkansas Research & Development Center in Little Rock, which opened in May 2006, also continues to grow. Three new engineers have been added and office space has doubled since the beginning of this year. The Little Rock staff provides additional support and opens up new avenues to serve customers, McKay explains.
"We're focused on growing and staying on the forefront with our technology and capabilities," says McKay, noting the purchase of a leading edge rapid prototype 3D printer for concept modeling and functional testing.
ARMA will continue to grow with satellite offices throughout the United States in the years ahead, says McKay, who founded the company in San Diego in 1990. For now, he is researching Seattle and Vancouver as possible locations for a future office.
ARMA Design, headquartered in San Diego, provides turnkey electronic product design, development and manufacturing services. Founded in 1990, ARMA's mission is to help companies with commercial, consumer and industrial applications turn ideas into reality. For more information about ARMA Design, visit www.armanet.com or call 858.373.1320.
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