Auto ID Solutions

What Auto ID Solutions does

Auto ID Solutions, a division of Product Development Laboratory, Inc. (PDL), is a Minneapolis-based specialty distributor and service provider focused exclusively on bar code verification for manufacturing industries. The company resells verification hardware from multiple brands—RJS (Inspector D4000 and 5000 series), Axicon, Microscan LVS/Omron (9510 desktop, 9580 handheld), Cognex DataMan (8072 DPM), Webscan TruCheck, and Honeywell/Hand Held Products Quick Check—covering linear, 2D, composite, stacked, and Direct Part Mark (DPM) symbologies. Products are tested for conformance to ISO/IEC 15426-1/2 and shipped with NIST-traceable calibration plaques, supporting compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GS1, ANSI, UDI, and MIL-STD 130 standards.

The business combines hardware sales (price range approximately $16 for consumables to over $10,000 for high-end verification systems) with in-house repair and calibration services delivered within a 24-hour turnaround, NIST-traceable recertification, loaner units during service, and free lifetime software upgrades on select products. Recurring revenue is generated through consumables (thermal paper, label stock, calibration cards), independent bar code evaluation, instructor-led training seminars, and an E-code electronic bar code ordering service. The company is a GS1 Certified Consultant and Solutions Partner, a member of the Flexographic Technical Association and TAPPI, and serves customers globally via its e-commerce storefront, toll-free phone sales, and shipping through FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL.

The company claims to be the largest bar code verifier reseller in North America, with senior staff reporting 80+ years of combined industry experience and participation as voting members in ISO and ANSI standards workgroups. Operating with a 1–10 person team from a single Minneapolis headquarters, Auto ID Solutions targets five primary verticals: pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, automotive and aerospace, retail and consumer goods, printing and packaging, and electronics manufacturing.

Name

Auto ID Solutions

Legal name

PDL, Inc. (Product Development Laboratory, Inc.)

Website

https://autoidsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Auto ID Solutions is a Minneapolis-based specialty distributor and service provider of bar code verification equipment, serving pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace, retail, packaging, and electronics manufacturers globally with hardware sales, NIST-traceable calibration, in-house repair, and bar code quality training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bar Code Verification Equipment

NAICS

Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (811210), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser) (IMALAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Labeling, Coding & Marking Systems (IMAHAOAE)

Keywords

• Bar code verification
• Verifier equipment sales
• Verifier calibration services
• Direct part mark inspection
• GS1 compliance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bar Code Verifier Equipment Sales: Sale of bar code verification hardware including handheld, desktop, and portable verifiers from brands such as RJS, Axicon, Microscan LVS, Cognex, and Webscan. Products support linear, 2D, and DPM bar code types across various apertures and standards (Full ISO/ANSI, Partial, Traditional, DPM). Prices range from under $100 for accessories to over $10,000 for high-end verification systems.
2. Repair, Calibration & Recertification Services: In-house repair and calibration services for all major bar code verifier brands with a 24-hour turnaround guarantee. Includes recertification to maintain ISO compliance and NIST traceability. Loaner units available during service period.
3. Verifier Software & Accessories: Sales of verifier software (VCIR Report Software Kit), thermal printer paper, continuous label stock, batteries, battery chargers, printer cables, and USB-to-serial adapters. Consumables and accessories provide recurring revenue opportunities.
4. Training Seminars: Live training seminars providing understanding of bar code quality specifications and their application to the printing industry, including implications of low-quality codes. Includes 100+ page manuals for all attendees.
5. E-Code Electronic Bar Code Ordering Service: Electronic bar code generation and ordering service for GS1-compliant electronic product codes.
6. Independent Bar Code Evaluation Service: Independent evaluation service for bar code quality assessment and print sample evaluation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Auto ID Solutions resells and services bar code verification equipment from multiple brands (RJS, Axicon, Microscan LVS, Cognex, Webscan, Honeywell/Hand Held Products), supporting linear, 2D, and DPM bar code inspection to ISO/IEC 15416, 15415, and 29158 standards. The company complements hardware sales with in-house repair, NIST-traceable calibration, and recertification services with a 24-hour turnaround, plus training seminars, independent bar code evaluation, and E-code electronic bar code ordering.

Product overview

Auto ID Solutions offers a comprehensive portfolio of bar code verification products and services. The core offering consists of hardware bar code verifiers from multiple brands (RJS, Microscan LVS, Cognex, Axicon, Webscan, Honeywell/Hand Held Products) that inspect linear 1D, 2D matrix, composite, and stacked bar codes to ISO/IEC 15416, 15415, and ANSI standards. These are complemented by calibration test cards (GS1 Calibrated Conformance Standards), thermal report printers (RJS TP-140 series), PC interface software (RJS VCIR Report Software), and consumables (direct thermal paper, label stock). Services include in-house repair and calibration with 24-hour turnaround, independent bar code evaluation, training seminars, and E-code electronic bar code ordering. The company is GS1 certified and supports FDA, pharmaceutical, military, medical, DPM, and retail industry standards. The largest bar code verifier reseller in North America, serving customers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RJS Inspector D4000 Series Verifiers
• RJS Inspector 5000 Series Verifiers
• Microscan LVS 9510 Desktop Verifier
• Microscan LVS 9580 Handheld Verifier
• Cognex DataMan 8072 DPM Handheld Verifier
• Axicon Bar Code Verifiers
• Webscan TruCheck Series Verifiers
• Honeywell/Hand Held Products Quick Check Series Verifiers
• Verifier Repair, Calibration and Recertification Service
• Independent Bar Code Evaluation Service
• Barcode Quality Training Seminars
• E-Code Electronic Bar Code Ordering Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-hour repair and calibration turnaround for all service work
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GS1coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuto ID Solutions is a GS1 Certified Consultant and Solutions Partner. GS1 is the global standards organization for bar codes and eCom. This partnership enables the company to provide GS1-compliant bar code verification and E-code electronic bar code ordering services.
• Flexographic Technical Association (FTA)minorOthersIndustry membership association for flexographic printing professionals. Provides industry visibility and credibility for the printing and packaging customer segment.
• Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI)minorOthersIndustry membership association for the pulp and paper industry. Supports the printing industry customer segment and provides networking and visibility.
• RJS (Revolutions Industrial Systems)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary vendor partner for RJS Inspector series bar code verifiers including D4000, Inspector 5000, and related accessories, printers, and consumables. RJS products represent a significant portion of the product catalog.
• Axicon Bar Code VerifierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary vendor partner for Axicon brand bar code verifiers including 15500, 15200, 7100-S, 6100-S, 6525-S, and PC series verifiers.
• Microscan LVS/OmroncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReseller of Microscan LVS (now part of Omron) desktop and handheld bar code verifiers including LVS 9510 and LVS 9580 series for various bar code sizes and types.
• Cognex-WebscancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReseller of Cognex DataMan series bar code verifiers including Dataman 8072 DPM handheld verifiers for direct part mark applications.
• WebscancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReseller of Webscan TruCheck series verifiers including Rover wide angle, Optima Plus, and Omni desktop verifiers with validation protocols.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cognex Corporation: Acquired Webscan and sells the DataMan series of bar code verifiers (including DPM models like the 8072 that Auto ID Solutions resells). A much larger player in industrial machine vision with overlapping bar code verification products, often selling direct to manufacturers.
• Zebra Technologies: Global leader in bar code printing, scanning, and RFID solutions. While not focused exclusively on verification, Zebra offers overlapping auto-identification products and channel reach into Auto ID Solutions' manufacturing customer base through its enterprise partner network.
• Datalogic: Global manufacturer of bar code readers, mobile computers, and industrial automation sensors. Sells directly and through distribution, providing adjacent competition in the auto-identification market for manufacturing customers.
• ScanSource: Large value-added distributor of auto-identification, point-of-sale, and networking solutions. Overlaps with Auto ID Solutions as a multi-vendor channel partner serving manufacturing and enterprise customers, but at much greater scale and breadth.
• Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions: Manufactures the Hand Held Products Quick Check series (800, 810, 820, 830, 850) verifiers sold by Auto ID Solutions. A large diversified industrial conglomerate that also sells directly into manufacturing customers, providing both product supply and competitive overlap.
• Omron Microscan: Manufacturer of LVS-9500 series bar code verifiers (LVS 9510, 9580) that Auto ID Solutions resells. As a global industrial automation incumbent, Omron sells both directly and through distribution channels, overlapping with Auto ID Solutions' core verification offering.

Regional players

• BlueStar: Specialty distributor of auto-identification, point-of-sale, and mobility solutions focused on the North American reseller channel. Competes with Auto ID Solutions for reseller and integrator relationships across bar code hardware and supplies.

Direct peers

• Stratix Corporation: Enterprise mobility and auto-identification solutions provider offering bar code equipment, services, and managed mobility to manufacturing and logistics customers. A more specialized competitor overlapping in auto-ID hardware distribution and lifecycle services.
• Axicon Auto ID: UK-based manufacturer of linear and 2D bar code verifiers (15500, 7100-S, etc.). They are both a key vendor partner for Auto ID Solutions and a direct seller of overlapping equipment, making them a simultaneous supplier and competitor in the verification equipment market.
• RJS (Revolutions Industrial Systems): Manufacturer of Inspector D4000 and 5000 series bar code verifiers that are a core part of Auto ID Solutions' catalog. They sell both direct and through Auto ID Solutions, creating a partner-competitor dynamic in the same verification equipment category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@autoidsolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auto-id-solutions/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Auto ID Solutions