History of NRTC Automation
After a decade of growth and opportunity, NRTC Automation has established itself as the choice partner for comprehensive industrial automation and manufacturing solutions.
Learning about the history of a company is a great way to understand their mission and expertise.
At NRTC Automation, we have a multi-faceted history of growth and development that led us to become the full-service automation solutions company that we are today.
Learn more about NRTC’s history and how we can help you meet your production goals below.
History of NRTC Automation
THE VERY BEGINNING
NRTC Automation (and our sister company, iGAM) falls under the parent company NRTC Alabama.
Over a decade ago in Tilbury, Ontario, NRTC Alabama was founded under the name New Rubber Technologies by Mike Vagi.
Mike, our current President of Sales and co-founder of iGAM, is a highly driven and successful entrepreneur. He has over 20 years of experience starting and growing companies from the conceptual stage to fully operational organizations with over 100 employees.
New Rubber Technologies was a rubber reclamation business. The company would collect rubber from tire yards and other demolition sites and, using a rubber grinding machine, vulcanize the rubber into a usable product.
Not too long after New Rubber Technologies started up, Mike discovered that to get to the next level in his business, he needed an industrial robot. He decided to join an auction and found six robots available at a good price.
Even though he only needed one robot to complete the job, Mike purchased all six robots, unsure of what he was going to do with them at first. Mike decided to call one of his contacts and struck a deal with him to sell five robots for a great price.
MAKING GROUND IN THE WORLD OF AUTOMATION
This deal marked a major shift in our business, from only doing rubber recycling to also participating in robot auctions.
In 2011, Mike bid on over 100 decommissioned Kawasaki robots against another company. He won the bid and sold some of the robots to the company where Dan Hill used to work. Mike and Dan met for the first time and helped the company build its presence through automation.
The excitement of helping another company grow through automation gave Mike the idea to build our own inventory of automation equipment to provide our customers with a better deal. Around 2014, New Robot Technologies shifted into NRT Equipment Sales to provide manufacturers with affordable automation equipment.
A major turning point for our company was when we sold our first single, double, and triple spot weld cells in 2015, and started receiving more orders from other businesses such as prototyping companies.
Finally in 2018, we broke through as a reputable industrial automation company. We were hired to design, build, and engineer nine automated cells in only 10 weeks. While this was a challenging opportunity, Mike and the team took it on with eager determination, providing quality automation cells to a company looking to move to the next level of growth.
NEW GROWTH
After the work cell project, NRT Equipment Sales received another opportunity to help a large customer decommission their current facility and build a new facility with an entire paint line from scratch. While doing the e-coat work and implementing the line into the facility, Mike and Dan started discussing service parts manufacturing in Alabama.
Dan joined the company and moved to Alabama in April of 2019 to start working on the new facility for NRT’s next adventure in the United States. We started out with a 50,000 square foot facility and shipped a hood, the first service part we produced as a company, on August 5th, 2019.
Around the same time, iGAM, the online marketplace for industrial robots and manufacturing equipment, was founded alongside our newly established name, NRTC Automation.
WHERE WE ARE TODAY
NRTC Automation and iGAM have come a long way since the summer of 2019.
We’ve established locations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Canada, and Michigan, and our team has grown to nearly one hundred employees since Dan started.
Now, on top of Decommissioning and Tear Outs, Automation Services, and Service Parts Manufacturing, NRTC Automation also offers services so manufacturers receive help every step of the way through the automation journey:
Industrial Robot Refurbishing
Prototyping
Robotic Engineering
Robotic Training
Industrial Tool and Fixture Storage
The best part about NRTC Automation’s growth is that we provide a solution for every industrial automation and manufacturing need. We work with our customers to help them meet their production goals from start to finish, which helps us grow in the process.
Plus, our employees benefit from working with us, too. They get a complete picture of the automation process and gain meaningful experience in how to help manufacturers grow their companies with automation, training, troubleshooting, and more.
SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION
All around, NRTC Automation is the best place to go for manufacturers of any size and phase looking to optimize production, minimize downtime, and build their revenue. We have a consistent track record of high-quality performance, as shown by our partnerships with top automotive manufacturers like Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes, as well as small- to mid-sized manufacturers.
With a wide range of automation services and capabilities, NRTC Automation can help. Our team of experienced and qualified professionals will support you in your journey to growth.
Schedule a free consultation with NRTC today to see what it’s like working on your production needs with us.
NRTC AUTOMATION IS YOUR PREFERRED PARTNER
NRTC Automation is dedicated to providing high value industrial automation and manufacturing equipment solutions to all its customers.
From decommissioning and tear out to industrial robotic training services to custom flexible work cells, NRTC is the key to integrating into your workplace. With personalized training and custom-built designs, NRTC Automation is the destination for all your industrial automation and manufacturing equipment services.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you meet your production goals.