Design Ready Controls
Design Ready Controls is a U.S. contract manufacturer of electrical control panels and wiring harnesses for OEM customers across HVAC, water treatment, oil and gas, solar, agriculture, packaging, alternative energy, and semiconductor industries. It operates five ISO 9001-registered facilities serving enterprise customers via proprietary paperless APE/AME software platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersBrooklyn Park, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Design Ready Controls does
Design Ready Controls is a U.S.-based contract manufacturer of electrical control panels and wiring harnesses, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The company operates five ISO 9001-registered manufacturing facilities across Minnesota, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Oregon, employing 550+ people as of December 2024 and self-describing as "one of the world's largest and most automated control panel builders." It builds engineered-to-order (ETO) products — OEM Control Panels, Custom Control Panels, Low and Medium Voltage Control Panels, and Enclosed Drive Packages — to specification for original equipment manufacturers across HVAC and building technology, water treatment and pumping, oil and gas, solar power, agriculture equipment, packaging equipment, alternative energy and EV charging infrastructure, and semiconductor equipment end-markets.
The company's core technology stack combines capital-intensive industrial automation with proprietary software. Advanced wire processing equipment (Komax, Schleuniger), Kiesling Perforex machining tools (the company states it was the first U.S. mechatronics manufacturer to deploy this technology), 3D printing for prototyping, and automated testing systems drive the production floor. Three proprietary software platforms overlay the hardware: APE® (Automated Panel Expert), which accelerates the sales-to-remittance workflow and provides customers real-time portal access to panel build documentation, test data, photos, and component ordering; AME® (Automated Manufacturing Expert), a paperless production management system that has executed 200,000+ production jobs since its 2012 launch and has cut production paper volume by more than half; and drOS (Design Ready Operating System), the internal integrated ERP tying component inventory, team performance, and production status across all five facilities.
Revenue is generated through project-based manufacturing contracts with enterprise OEM customers, with pricing negotiated per project based on engineering requirements, component materials, volume, and specifications. The go-to-market is direct B2B enterprise field sales via sales representatives and account managers; no resellers or distributors are used. The company additionally takes responsibility for UL compliance listing management and quarterly audits, provides warranty coverage on workmanship and components, and offers variable capacity to absorb OEM customers' seasonal and product development cycle swings. Management is founder/operator-led (CEO Troy Schmidtke, CTO Mitchell DeJong PhD, CFO John Hacker) with no disclosed external institutional investors, acquisitions, or funding rounds.
Design Ready Controls firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Ready Controls
- Legal name
- Design Ready Controls Inc.
- Website
- https://designreadycontrols.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Design Ready Controls is a U.S. contract manufacturer of electrical control panels and wiring harnesses for OEM customers across HVAC, water treatment, oil and gas, solar, agriculture, packaging, alternative energy, and semiconductor industries. It operates five ISO 9001-registered facilities serving enterprise customers via proprietary paperless APE/AME software platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Ready Controls industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Control Panel Contract Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK), Wiring Harnesses & Pre-Fabricated Assemblies (IMADAMAN), Motion Control Electronics & Controls (Controllers, Drivers, Feedback Interfaces) (IMAHAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Design Ready Controls is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Design Ready Controls business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Control Panel Manufacturing Services: Design Ready Controls builds products specified and branded by other firms (OEMs). They provide engineering and manufacturing services including OEM Control Panels, Custom Control Panels, Low Voltage Control Panels, Medium Voltage Control Panels, and Enclosed Drive Packages. Revenue is generated through project-based manufacturing contracts with OEM customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Project-based custom pricing for control panel manufacturing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Design Ready Controls product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Ready Controls is a contract manufacturer that designs, engineers, and builds control panels and wiring harnesses to OEM specifications. Its product portfolio includes OEM Control Panels, Custom Control Panels, Low and Medium Voltage Control Panels, and Enclosed Drive Packages. Manufacturing is supported by proprietary paperless systems (APE® for sales-to-remittance and AME® for production) and delivered across five U.S. facilities for customers in HVAC, water treatment, oil and gas, solar, agriculture, packaging, alternative energy, and semiconductor equipment.
Product overview
Design Ready Controls is a contract manufacturer of electrical control panels offering a portfolio of engineered-to-order (ETO) products including OEM Control Panels, Custom Control Panels, Low Voltage Control Panels, Medium Voltage Control Panels, and Enclosed Drive Packages. These hardware products are supported by proprietary software platforms: APE (Automated Panel Expert), which manages the sales-to-remittance workflow and provides a customer portal for real-time documentation and ordering access, and AME (Automated Manufacturing Expert), which delivers paperless production management and quality control across all manufacturing facilities. APE Aftermarket and APE Web are the customer-facing web portals built on these platforms, enabling real-time online access to panel build documentation, test data, photos, and component ordering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- APE (Automated Panel Expert): Proprietary system that accelerates the sales, engineering and manufacturing process from quotation to remittance
- AME (Automated Manufacturing Expert)
- drOS (Design Ready Operating System)
Products and services
- OEM Control Panels Control panels engineered and manufactured to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications and branded by the customer. Includes full engineering and manufacturing services with UL compliance listing management.
- Custom Control Panels Bespoke control panels designed and built to customer-specific requirements, supporting multiple industries including HVAC, water treatment, oil and gas, and semiconductors.
- Low Voltage Control Panels Control panels operating at low voltage levels, manufactured with process controls to ensure quality and operational excellence, serving building technology and industrial applications.
- Medium Voltage Control Panels Control panels rated for medium voltage applications, manufactured with UL compliance listing and engineered-to-order processes to manage variability and guarantee operational excellence.
- Enclosed Drive Packages Pre-assembled enclosed drive system packages combining control electronics and enclosures, built using automated manufacturing processes and quality-controlled assembly.
- APE Web Customer Portal Customer-facing web portal providing real-time online access to panel build documentation, test data, photos, and component ordering capabilities for OEM customers.
- APE Aftermarket Customer Portal Customer web portal providing access to control panel documentation, test data, photos, and replacement part ordering capabilities for panels already deployed in the field.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200,000+ production jobs launched through AME
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Ready Controls
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Design Ready Controls technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Design Ready Controls partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hennepin Technical CollegecorePartnership to provide on-site classes at Design Ready Controls facility. Employees can earn college credits and degrees while working. Classes include Automation Robotics Engineering Technology and other manufacturing-related programs.
- Minnesota State University, MankatocorePartnership through PIPELINE program where employees pursue Professional Science Master's Degree in Engineering Management while working at Design Ready Controls.
- The Manufacturing Skills Institute / Virginia Manufacturers AssociationcorePartnership providing classes for employees at the Virginia facility through The Manufacturing Skills Institute and Virginia Manufacturers Association.
- The Manufacturers Consortium (TMC)minorAssociation joining Minnesota DEED, local manufacturing businesses, and higher education institutions to develop technical internship programs focused on employee skill development and skilled employee acquisition.
- BrookLynkminorPartnership helping young people overcome barriers to employment, connecting them with organizations that provide on-the-job training and skill development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Design Ready Controls competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Panelmatic: Custom control panel and electrical equipment contract manufacturer serving OEM customers across industrial markets — the closest direct comparable to Design Ready Controls' engineered-to-order panel business.
- Hope Industrial Systems: Manufacturer of industrial control panels, HMIs, and operator interface solutions for OEMs — a direct peer in custom industrial control panel manufacturing.
Broad incumbents
- Rittal: Global manufacturer of enclosures, climate control, and power distribution for industrial panel building; competes in adjacent segments of the same control-panel ecosystem.
- nVent (Hoffman brand): Provides enclosures, electrical components, and panel-building solutions widely used by control panel manufacturers; competes on the enclosure and integrated system level.
- Eaton: Diversified industrial manufacturer with extensive electrical industrial apparatus and control-panel-adjacent products; competes for OEM panel and switchgear business at scale.
- ABB: Global industrial automation, drives, and controls supplier; competes with Design Ready Controls' enclosed drive packages and motor-control products through broader portfolio offerings.
- Siemens: Industrial automation leader supplying PLCs, drives, and control systems that integrate into OEM control panels; a broad incumbent whose products go inside the panels DRC builds.
- Rockwell Automation: Major industrial control and automation supplier whose PLC, HMI, and drive products are core components in OEM control panels like those DRC manufactures.
- Schneider Electric: Global industrial automation and electrical distribution company whose components, software, and services overlap with DRC's OEM panel-building value chain.
Others
- Phoenix Contact: Supplier of industrial connection, automation, and control-system components used extensively inside control panels; an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Ready Controls social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Ready Controls compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Design Ready Controls financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Ready Controls leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Design Ready Controls funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Ready Controls M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design Ready Controls
What does Design Ready Controls do?
Design Ready Controls is a contract manufacturer that designs, engineers, and builds control panels and wiring harnesses to OEM specifications. Its product portfolio includes OEM Control Panels, Custom Control Panels, Low and Medium Voltage Control Panels, and Enclosed Drive Packages. Manufacturing is supported by proprietary paperless systems (APE® for sales-to-remittance and AME® for production) and delivered across five U.S. facilities for customers in HVAC, water treatment, oil and gas, solar, agriculture, packaging, alternative energy, and semiconductor equipment.
Is Design Ready Controls a public or private company?
Design Ready Controls is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Design Ready Controls founded?
Design Ready Controls was founded in 1989. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Design Ready Controls based?
Design Ready Controls is headquartered in Brooklyn Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Ready Controls make money?
One revenue line is on record: control Panel Manufacturing Services.
Who are Design Ready Controls's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Panelmatic and Hope Industrial Systems. Broad incumbents are Rittal, nVent (Hoffman brand), Eaton, ABB, Siemens, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric. Phoenix Contact is listed as an others.
Does Design Ready Controls have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Ready Controls.
What industry is Design Ready Controls in?
Design Ready Controls's product category is Control Panel Contract Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGABAJ, Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration), with a secondary code of IMAGABAK, Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits). Its NAICS code is 335314 and its SIC code is 3823.