Ampel

What Ampel does

Ampel Inc. is a US-based printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer founded in 1983, headquartered in a 35,200 sq. ft. facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The company manufactures custom PCBs ranging from quick-turn prototypes to full production runs, with turn times of 24 hours on 1-6 layer boards, 48 hours on 8-10 layer boards, and 72 hours on 12-14 layer boards. Its technical capabilities cover single- and double-sided boards, multilayers up to 14 layers, flexible and rigid-flex circuits, high-frequency builds using Rogers materials and PTFE/Teflon substrates, and a full menu of surface finishes (HASL, lead-free, ENIG, hard gold, immersion silver, OSP, white tin). Value-added engineering services include integrated CAM, photo plotting, array design/panelization, and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analysis, with electrical testing (flying grid, clam shell, net list, cross-section, ionic contamination) and builds to IPC-A-600 standards.

Ampel holds ISO certification, ITAR registration (enabling defense work), and UL 94V-0 approval. The company distributes exclusively through direct sales — phone, email, and a website quote form — with quote-based, one-time transaction pricing and no publicly disclosed rates. Its customer base is described horizontally as electronics manufacturing companies served nationwide, with no named customer logos or concentration data disclosed.

Since 2016, Ampel has executed an aggressive roll-up strategy, acquiring nine PCB manufacturers across Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Colorado, California, and Canada, forming the "Ampel Group of Companies." These subsidiaries — Image Circuit (2016), PC Specialties and Texas Circuitry (2018), TriTech Manufacturing and Crimp Circuits Canada (2019), U.S. Circuit and LazerTech Canada (2021), Rocky Mountain Circuit (2022), and Multilayer Technology (2023) — are largely retained as brands and operate as wholly-owned subsidiaries. The company is privately held, with no disclosed funding rounds, investors, or ownership structure.

Name

Ampel

Legal name

Ampel Inc.

Website

https://ampelinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ampel is a US PCB manufacturer founded in 1983, headquartered in Elk Grove Village, IL, producing quick-turn prototypes through full production runs of single-sided to 14-layer boards, flex, rigid-flex, and high-frequency circuits. It serves electronics manufacturing customers nationwide, holding ISO, ITAR, and UL certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. PCB Manufacturing and Sales: Ampel generates revenue through manufacturing and selling custom printed circuit boards ranging from quick-turn prototypes to full production runs. The company offers a complete menu of PCB capabilities including stock and custom work across various board types from single-sided to multilayer (up to 14 layers).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ampel Inc. is a full-service contract manufacturer of custom printed circuit boards, producing quick-turn prototypes through full-scale production runs. Its product range spans single-sided, double-sided, and multilayer boards up to 14 layers, including flex, rigid-flex, and high-frequency boards built from specialty materials such as Rogers and PTFE/Teflon, with finishing options (HASL, ENIG, Hard Gold, OSP, etc.) and pre-production engineering support (CAM, DFM, panelization) included in the offering.

Product overview

Ampel is a full-service PCB (Printed Circuit Board) manufacturer offering a unified manufacturing platform spanning quick-turn prototyping through full-scale production. The core offering includes Quick Turn Prototype PCB Manufacturing for rapid 24-72 hour turnaround on 1-14 layer boards, complemented by Multilayer PCB Manufacturing supporting complex designs up to 14 layers with blind/buried vias and impedance control. Specialized capabilities include Flexible and Rigid-Flex PCB manufacturing and High-Frequency PCB using Rogers materials for RF applications. Value-added Engineering Services encompass CAM/photo plotting, panelization, and DFM analysis. Surface Finishes including HASL, ENIG, Hard Gold, and OSP are offered as processing options. The company operates from a 35,200 sq. ft. facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quick Turn Prototype PCB Manufacturing Rapid prototyping and production service for custom printed circuit boards, offering 24-72 hour turnaround times for 1-14 layer boards, serving electronics manufacturing customers nationwide from prototype through production volumes.
• Multilayer PCB Manufacturing Multi-layer printed circuit board manufacturing supporting up to 14 layers, with capabilities including blind and buried vias, control impedance, and oversized multilayer boards.
• Flexible and Rigid-Flex PCB Manufacturing Manufacturing of flex circuits and rigid-flex boards for applications requiring bending or dynamic flexing, built with materials including Getek.
• High-Frequency PCB Manufacturing (Rogers Materials) Specialized printed circuit boards using Rogers materials (3010, 4000, 5880, 6200) and PTFE (Teflon) for high-frequency applications in telecommunications and RF markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-hour turnaround available on 1-6 layer boards
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Multilayer Technology Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2023Acquired in 2023, Multilayer Technology Inc. is based in Irving, TX. This acquisition positions Ampel to attain additional customers, staff, experience and expand capability limits.
• Rocky Mountain Circuit Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2022Acquired in 2022, Rocky Mountain Circuit Inc. is based in Boulder, CO. This acquisition expanded Ampel's geographic presence and customer base.
• U.S. Circuit PCB Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2021Acquired in 2021, U.S. Circuit PCB Inc. is based in Escondido, CA. The acquisition strengthened Ampel's West Coast presence.
• LazerTech Canada Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2021Acquired in 2021, LazerTech Canada Inc. is based in Canada. This marked Ampel's expansion into the Canadian market.
• TriTech Manufacturing Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2019Acquired in 2019, TriTech Manufacturing Inc. is based in Fort Wayne, IN. The acquisition added manufacturing capacity and capabilities.
• Crimp Circuits Canada Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2019Acquired in 2019, Crimp Circuits Canada Inc. is based in Canada. This acquisition further expanded Ampel's Canadian operations.
• PC Specialties Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2018Acquired in 2018, PC Specialties Inc. is based in Irving, TX. The acquisition added specialized PCB capabilities.
• Texas Circuitry Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2018Acquired in 2018, Texas Circuitry Inc. is based in Arlington, TX. This expanded Ampel's Texas presence.
• Image Circuit Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2016Acquired in 2016, Image Circuit Inc. is based in Elgin, IL. This acquisition expanded Ampel's Illinois operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TTM Technologies: TTM Technologies is one of the largest US-based PCB manufacturers with broad multilayer, RF/microwave, and aerospace/defense capabilities. It is the most direct scaled comparable to Ampel, offering quick-turn through volume production with similar specialty materials exposure.
• Summit Interconnect: Summit Interconnect is a US-focused PCB manufacturer that has executed a similar roll-up strategy via private equity ownership, acquiring multiple regional PCB shops. It is the closest strategic analog to Ampel's acquisition-led growth model.
• Advanced Circuits: Advanced Circuits is a US quick-turn PCB specialist serving prototype through production volumes. It directly competes with Ampel on the same prototype/SMB customer base and quick-turn SLA proposition.
• NCAB Group: NCAB Group is a global PCB sourcing company that combines domestic technical sales with audited factory production, including the acquisition of Advanced Circuits. It overlaps Ampel's quick-turn, prototype-to-production customer base.
• American Standard Circuits: American Standard Circuits is a US PCB manufacturer offering quick-turn prototypes through medium-volume production, with RF/microwave and flex capability. It is a like-for-like competitor in Ampel's core product and customer segments.
• Epec Engineered Technologies: Epec Engineered Technologies is a US-based custom electronics manufacturer with PCB fabrication, flex, and rigid-flex capability. It competes with Ampel in quick-turn prototypes and short-run production for industrial customers.
• APCT: APCT (Advanced Printed Circuit Technology) is a US PCB manufacturer focused on quick-turn prototypes and production, with multilayer and HDI capability. It is a direct competitor for the same prototype-driven customer base.
• Calumet Electronics: Calumet Electronics is a US PCB manufacturer with strong defense and aerospace exposure, including ITAR-cleared capability. It directly overlaps Ampel's ITAR-certified, high-reliability PCB positioning in defense markets.

Broad incumbents

• Sanmina: Sanmina is a large global EMS provider with substantial PCB fabrication capability as part of a broader end-to-end manufacturing portfolio. It overlaps Ampel on PCB production but addresses customers through a much wider integrated EMS offering.
• Multek (Flex Ltd.): Multek is the PCB fabrication arm of Flex Ltd., a global EMS company, offering rigid, flex, and rigid-flex boards at scale. It is a broad incumbent competitor in the same PCB product categories Ampel serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ampelinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ampelinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ampelinc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ampel