Abel Castillo, Director of Sales at Aimtron, takes Eric Miscoll behind the scenes of building a $100+ million electronics manufacturing services company from nothing. What began in 2009 as a blank 14,000 square-foot building in Palatine, Illinois has evolved into a global EMS provider with multiple facilities, fifteen surface mount lines, and a comprehensive suite of end-to-end manufacturing solutions.
The secret to Aimtron’s impressive 30% year-over-year growth? A laser focus on building and retaining the right team. Many employees have been with the company since day one, some even following leadership from previous ventures spanning over two decades. This continuity translates directly into customer experience, as Castillo explains: “They literally hand us their product and say ‘we want you to build it’ – it’s kind of like they’re asking us to take care of their little ones.”
What distinguishes Aimtron is their strategic dual-shore approach with mirror-image facilities in both Illinois and India. Using identical equipment, software, and processes enables seamless product transitions between locations – providing flexibility, redundancy, and cost optimization opportunities for customers. This approach proved especially valuable during the supply chain disruptions of recent years. Combined with their vertical integration capabilities in cables, sheet metal, and plastics, Aimtron offers customers truly comprehensive solutions with “only one throat to choke” if problems arise.
Looking ahead, Aimtron is positioning for continued expansion with plans for new facilities in the Southwestern United States and potential growth into European and South American markets. As manufacturing increasingly shifts toward India due to geopolitical considerations, Aimtron’s established presence there provides significant competitive advantages.
EMS@C-Level Live at APEX is sponsored by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Creative Electron (https://creativeelectron.com)
