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More than just
robots
April
23, 2006
Greenville Herald Banner
By
Brad Kellar
The Herald Banner
GREENVILLE – On the outskirts of Greenville, along Interstate 30,
sits a group of buildings housing a company with a firm grip on
the future.
Most
people may hear the name Innovation First and think of it as a
manufacturer of kits used by high school students in national
robotics competitions.
But
owners Tony Norman and Bob Mimlitch say the world is beginning to
realize the firm is far more than that.
"Most
people think of us as a robotics company, but that is really only
about 10 percent of our business," Norman said.
Innovation First is involved in a variety of other high technology
enterprises, from designing racks, slide mount brackets and
related items for Yahoo, which hold the Dell computers which
provide its Internet services, to creating circuit boards which
help run the ride-in cars and trucks sold by Fisher Price.
"Basically, we're innovators," Norman said. "We develop technology
and license it to other companies."
"We
typically develop things they can't figure out on their own, or
they can't figure out how to make it portable on their own,"
Mimlitch said.
In
short, Mimlitch explained, "We make the products Dell wants."
The
company did begin with robots.
Norman and Mimlitch graduated from Greenville High School and went
to work for Raytheon, where they became involved in the For
Inspiration of Robotics, Science and Technology (FIRST)
competition, which challenges students from around the world to
solve engineering problems using robotics technology.
The
pair were able to point out some defects in the system used by the
competition and became the default technical support staff.
Three
years ago, the pair received the Founder's Award, the highest
honor bestowed by the First organization, in recognition for their
efforts and contributions to the program.
Innovation First designed the technology powering the Vex Robotics
Design System and partnered with RadioShack in 2005 to develop the
product platform. Earlier this month, Innovation First acquired
ownership of the technology outright.
The
FIRST competition is utilizing Vex for a new level of competition
called the FIRST Vex Challenge which culminates in a national
championship Thursday and Friday of this week at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta.
The
Greenville High School Robowranglers VEX 1148 team, using its
"Clean Sweep" robot, won the southwest regional round of the FIRST
Vex Challenge at the University of Texas at Arlington in February
and will be competing in Atlanta.
Innovation First became a privately held corporation in 1996. The
RackSolutions division, which designs the brackets and mounting
hardware which have become the company's bread and butter, was
formed in 1999.
Joel
Carter, vice president of marketing, said the company is spreading
its RackSolutions wings into new territory.
"Like
mounts for LCD monitors and televisions," Carter said. "They've
really just scratched the surface on that."
A
tour of the headquarters reveals Norman's and Mimlitch's pride and
joy, a giant device which, once a design for a rack is developed
in-house, can punch out all the holes and spaces required in
minutes. The metal sheet is transferred to a worker who, with the
help of another machine, completes whatever details are needed.
The finished product is then sent to be packed for shipping, also
from the same location.
"Very
few people know we have this state of the art manufacturing
facility here in Greenville," Mimlitch said.
The
environment is certainly casual inside the building. There are no
suits and ties, with jeans and sport shirts being the preferred
mode of dress.
"We
buy lunch for everybody each day," Norman said.
Employee thirst is also not a problem. The soft drink machine
costs a nickel and, if a worker cannot afford it, there is a box
in the break room with change available.
The
company is rapidly expanding and is on its third headquarters
since its inception. Plans call for additional warehouse and
manufacturing space to be added at the current site at the corner
of Interstate 30 and Farm-To-Market Road 1570.
"We
have 55,000 square feet now and I bet we have 100,000 square feet
in a year," Norman said.
Already doing business in the United Kingdom, Australia and
elsewhere, Innovation First is entering a phase where it intends
to more actively market its services all over the world.
"We
truly are a global company sitting right here in Greenville,
Texas," Carter said.
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