Duckworth & Associates

What Duckworth & Associates does

Duckworth & Associates, Inc. is an independent engineering and consulting firm founded in 1980 by mechanical engineers Jack Duckworth and Dave Krause, headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan. The firm serves automotive OEMs, Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers, and contractors across the United States, delivering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on paint finishing process engineering and manufacturing systems. Core offerings include Mechanical Engineering Services (process systems development, materials handling and conveyor systems, structural steel design, 3D scanning and modeling, start-up support, and air/hydronic system balancing), Process Engineering (paint process flow diagrams, layout drawings, equipment design, facility design, and bid package preparation), Control Systems (turn-key PLC, HMI, VFD, control panel, vision system integration, and burner controls), Energy Management Solutions (facility energy audits, building and process ventilation reviews, EMS implementation, and utility rebate assistance), Materials Handling (automated monorail, AGV, power & free, and vertical lift conveyor design), Staffing Services (contract engineers and project managers), and add-on Capabilities (3D modeling, 3D scanning, infrared scanning).

The firm's business model is professional services / project-based consulting, with custom-tailored engagements delivered through direct sales relationships to enterprise customers. Revenue is generated through design engineering, manufacturing engineering, consulting, control system design and furnishing, project management, construction management, and field services engagements; pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The firm operates with a documented debt-free philosophy that has been maintained for over 40 years, prioritizing financial discipline and commitment-honoring over growth-at-all-costs. The company has no disclosed external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries, and the geographic footprint is concentrated in the USA. Marketing is minimal — a company website and LinkedIn presence — consistent with a relationship-driven B2B sales motion in a niche industrial engineering vertical.

Name

Duckworth & Associates

Legal name

Duckworth & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://duckworth-associates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duckworth & Associates is an independent engineering and consulting firm serving automotive OEMs, Tier Suppliers, and Contractors with specialized paint finishing process engineering, control systems, conveyor and materials handling design, energy management, and contract staffing services, based in Plymouth, Michigan since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Consulting Services: Provides Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Consulting Services, Control Systems, Project Management, Construction Management, and Miscellaneous Field Services to automotive OEMs, Tier Suppliers, and Contractors. Revenue generated through professional service engagements, project-based work, and staffing solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Duckworth & Associates is an independent engineering and consulting firm providing design engineering, manufacturing engineering, consulting, control systems, project management, construction management, and field services to automotive OEMs, Tier Suppliers, and Contractors. Its work centers on paint finishing process engineering, building and process ventilation systems, conveyor and material handling systems, turn-key control systems (PLC/HMI/VFDs), energy savings programs, and on-site contract engineering staffing.

Product overview

Duckworth & Associates is an independent engineering and consulting firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on paint finishing process engineering and manufacturing systems. The core offerings include Mechanical Engineering Services (covering process systems, materials handling, structural steel, and 3D scanning/modeling), Process Engineering (specializing in paint finishing and facility ventilation design), Control Systems (turn-key PLC/HMI/VFD solutions), Energy Management Solutions (energy audits and savings programs), Staffing Services (contract engineering), and Materials Handling (conveyor systems design). These services are designed to work together to provide comprehensive solutions for OEMs, Tier Suppliers, and Contractors in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mechanical Engineering Services Provides mechanical engineering services including process systems development, material handling and conveyor systems, structural steel design and detailing, 3D scanning, 3D modeling, start-up support, and air and hydronic system balancing for automotive OEMs, Tier Suppliers, and Contractors.
• Process Engineering Specializes in paint process engineering and building ventilation systems, offering feasibility studies, paint process flow diagrams, layout drawings, bid package preparation, paint finishing system engineering, equipment design, and facility design engineering for manufacturing systems.
• Control Systems Designs and furnishes turn-key control systems including PLC programming, HMI programming, control panel design, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), radio-based control systems, vision system integration, conveyance and material handling controls, part/carrier tracking, and burner controls for automated manufacturing processes.
• Energy Management Solutions

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Stantec: Global engineering, consulting, and construction services firm with a manufacturing and industrial practice. Tangentially comparable to Duckworth in delivering engineering consulting and project services, but operates at vastly larger scale and across many non-automotive end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Dürr AG: Global market leader in automotive paint finishing systems, offering complete paint shops, environmental technology, and conveyor systems. Highly comparable to Duckworth in end-product focus (automotive paint finishing) but operates at vastly greater scale as a publicly listed systems integrator.
• Comau: Automotive manufacturing technology and systems integration company owned by Stellantis, serving body shop, paint shop, and assembly. Comparable to Duckworth in industrial engineering and controls for automotive manufacturing but at significantly larger scale and global footprint.
• KUKA Systems: Major supplier of robotic and systems integration solutions for automotive manufacturing, including body shop, paint shop, and final assembly. Overlaps with Duckworth in conveyor/material handling and controls engineering, but competes at far larger scale as part of KUKA AG.
• Geico Taikisha: Joint venture between Geico and Taikisha that designs and builds complete automotive paint shops. Directly comparable to Duckworth in serving automotive OEM paint finishing needs, but operates as a global turnkey systems integrator rather than an independent engineering consultant.
• Eisenmann: Automotive paint finishing and material handling systems supplier (now part of Dürr). Comparable to Duckworth's paint finishing process engineering focus but historically operated as a turnkey systems integrator serving OEMs globally.

Direct peers

• EDAG Group: Independent engineering services provider to the global automotive industry, offering vehicle development, production systems, and consulting. Closest analogue to Duckworth as an engineering services firm serving automotive OEMs, though much larger and with broader scope beyond paint finishing.
• FEV Group: International engineering services provider to the automotive industry with expertise in powertrain, vehicle, and production systems. Comparable to Duckworth as an independent engineering/consulting firm serving automotive OEMs, though larger and oriented toward powertrain and vehicle systems.
• Belcan: Engineering, technical, and staffing services provider serving aerospace, industrial, and automotive markets. Comparable to Duckworth in offering engineering consulting and contract staffing to manufacturing customers, though Belcan has a much broader industry and service mix.
• SSOE Group: Engineering, architecture, and construction management firm with a strong automotive manufacturing practice. Closely comparable to Duckworth in offering integrated design, process, controls, and construction management services to automotive manufacturers, though larger and more diversified.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duckworth-&-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Duckworth & Associates