Innovate Sales
Innovate Sales is a manufacturer's representative agency, founded in 1988 and based in Savage, Minnesota, that sells electromechanical components on commission for 20+ principal manufacturers into OEM customers across the Upper Midwest (MN, ND, SD, WI, IA).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersWest Saint Paul, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Innovate Sales does
Innovate Sales is a manufacturer's representative agency founded in 1988 that sells electromechanical components on behalf of more than 20 principal manufacturers into the Upper Midwest OEM market. The firm operates from Savage, Minnesota and covers Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Its component portfolio spans connectors, enclosures, thermal management products, displays, relays, switches, batteries, and transformers — categories typically specified into industrial, medical, transportation, and other equipment OEMs during the design-in phase. Standex Electronics is identified as a Core-tier principal relationship, indicating a high-priority sales allocation within the agency's line card.
The business model is commission-based: Innovate Sales does not take inventory title and instead earns a percentage of the sales it generates for each principal, with revenue mechanics tied to design wins and bookings routed through its territory. Joe Gillis is the founder, and the firm runs with a lean team reported at 1-10 employees (three named individuals: Joe Gillis, Larry Fossen, and Connor Root). The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds.
Go-to-market is relationship-driven and territory-bounded: regional sales engineers cultivate OEM engineering and procurement buyers, provide samples and technical support, and funnel resulting orders back to the principals. There is no indication of direct e-commerce, online configurators, or digital self-serve channels; the operating model reflects a traditional rep-agency structure that has remained in place for more than three and a half decades.
Innovate Sales firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innovate Sales
- Legal name
- Innovate Sales, Inc
- Website
- https://innovatesales.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Innovate Sales is a manufacturer's representative agency, founded in 1988 and based in Savage, Minnesota, that sells electromechanical components on commission for 20+ principal manufacturers into OEM customers across the Upper Midwest (MN, ND, SD, WI, IA).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Innovate Sales is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Innovate Sales business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Sales Commission Revenue: Innovate Sales operates as a manufacturer's representative agency, earning commissions on sales of electromechanical products from their represented manufacturers (principals) to OEM customers in their territory.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Innovate Sales product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innovate Sales operates as a manufacturer's representative agency that sells electromechanical and electronic components on behalf of more than 20 manufacturers to OEM customers in the Upper Midwest. The firm supplements its distribution role with design-for-manufacturability consultation, new product design integration support, cost reduction analysis, and just-in-time inventory program coordination across categories including connectors, enclosures, sensors, switches, thermal management, batteries, displays, relays, and magnetics.
Product overview
Innovate Sales is a manufacturers' representative agency founded in 1988, specializing in electromechanical products and electronic components. The company represents a comprehensive line card of electronics manufacturers, providing value solutions including new product design support, design for manufacturability improvements, lower cost of ownership, and just-in-time inventory solutions. The portfolio spans multiple product categories including connectors (JST, Metz Connect, iCONN), enclosures (Bud Industries), thermal management (Fujipoly, Orion Fans), passive components (Miba Resistors, Fedco Batteries), displays (Polytronix), relays and switches (Song Chuan, Standex Detect, ZF Electronic Systems, RDI, Portage Electric), transformers and magnetics (Standex Edge), printed circuit boards (Active Sales Associates), and user interface solutions (J.N. White Designs). Standex Electronics, including Standex Edge and Standex Detect, represents a key principal relationship for the company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Manufacturer's representative sales services for electromechanical components Regional sales agency that represents 20+ electromechanical component manufacturers and routes their products to OEM and electronics manufacturing customers across the Upper Midwest (MN, ND, SD, WI, IA). Service scope includes account coverage, quoting, design-in coordination, and ongoing commercial support across categories such as connectors, enclosures, sensors, switches, thermal management, batteries, displays, relays, and magnetics.
- Design-for-manufacturability and new product design support Technical advisory service provided alongside represented components, helping OEM customers integrate parts into new product designs and improve manufacturability, lower cost of ownership, and streamline supply chain. Intended for engineering and product development teams at OEM manufacturers.
- Just-in-time inventory and cost reduction solutions Inventory and supply-chain program coordination tied to component supply, designed to reduce OEM working capital and enable lower total cost of ownership. Delivered to OEM purchasing and operations teams through Innovate Sales' manufacturer principals.
Companies that use Innovate Sales
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Innovate Sales technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Innovate Sales partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Standex ElectronicscoreInnovate Sales is a manufacturer's representative for Standex Electronics, a division of Standex International Corporation which operates in Electronics, Engraving, Engineering Technologies, Specialty Solutions, and Scientific divisions.
- AbbatronminorThe premier supplier of electronic hardware including posts, probes, spacers, and standoffs.
- Active Sales AssociatesminorAsian manufactured printed circuit boards with prototype and production capabilities. ISO certified, 2 to 36 layer product capabilities.
- Bud IndustriesminorNEMA/IP rated enclosures, racks and cabinets, general purpose enclosures, standard, custom and quick turn modified enclosures.
- Fedco BatteriesminorBattery and battery pack design and engineering, battery manufacturing, fulfillment and shipping.
- FujipolyminorThermal management components and materials including elastomeric connectors, fusible tapes and silicon rubber extrusions.
- iCONN SystemsminorOvermolded cables and connectors with custom interconnect solutions and full range of IP rated products.
- J.N. White DesignsminorFunctional user interface panels, membrane switches, labels, faceplates, graphic overlays and domed labels with rapid prototyping and product design services.
- JSTminorIndustry leading connector manufacturer specializing in small pitch wire to wire, wire to board, power, signal, waterproof and FFC/FPC interconnect with IDC assembly services.
- Knight Electronic Orion FansminorAC and DC cooling fans, blowers and fan tray assemblies.
- Metz ConnectminorTerminal blocks and headers, board-to-board connectors, plugs and jacks for PC boards and cables, I/O components and relay and coupling modules.
- Miba Resistors (formerly EBG)minorThick film high-voltage, high power and precision resistors, custom-designed resistors including high power, ultra precision, carbon and more.
- Polytronix, Inc.minorManufactures TFT, Character, Graphic, E-Link, Custom and Ruggedized LCDs with vertically integrated value add and full sub assembly capabilities.
- Portage Electric ProductsminorThermostats and thermal protectors.
- PowerlandminorDC/DC converters and AC/DC chargers up to 11kW for the Electric Vehicle market.
- RDIminorSwitches, jacks, plugs, potentiometers, audio alerts, headsets, microphones with value added capabilities.
- Song ChuanminorGlobal manufacturer of electromechanical relays including Automotive, EV, and PCB relays. Standard and custom product with full stateside engineering and sales support.
- Standex EdgeminorPlanar transformers and inductors, high frequency and SMPS transformers, current sense transformers, medical grade isolation, custom power magnetics, military and aerospace MIL-SPEC magnetics, space and flight grade magnetics, custom solenoids, antennas and coils.
- Standex DetectminorReed switches, relays and optocouplers, position sensors and magnets, fluid sensors and floats.
- ZF Electronic SystemsminorSwitches (snap action, rocker, pushbutton, thumbwheel, automotive) and sensors (angle, linear, geartooth, proximity, speed and direction, digital vane) for IP67, harsh environment, factory and building automation applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Innovate Sales competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sager Electronics: Specialty distributor focused on power, battery, thermal and electromechanical products to OEMs — overlapping product categories (batteries via Fedco, thermal via Fujipoly/Orion, magnetics via Standex Edge) and similar B2B-rep-style channel relationships.
- Powell Electronics: Specialty supplier of connectors, cable assemblies and electromechanical components to OEMs in defense, industrial and commercial markets — relevant comp given Innovate Sales' strong connector (JST, Metz Connect, iCONN) and electromechanical positioning.
- Master Electronics: Broadline authorized distributor of electronic components serving OEM and industrial customers; comparable multi-manufacturer line-card model with similar component categories (connectors, passives, electromechanical).
- Component Distributors Inc. (CDI): Independent electronic component distributor serving OEM customers across multiple manufacturers — comparable authorized-distribution model with line-card breadth across passives, electromechanical and discrete components.
- Heilind Electronics: Specialty distributor of interconnect, electromechanical and sensor products from a broad manufacturer line card serving OEM customers — closely mirroring Innovate Sales' focus on connectors, switches and electromechanical components.
Broad incumbents
- Future Electronics: World's largest privately held electronic components distributor serving OEM customers globally with deep line card across electromechanical, passive and active components — same end customers, much larger scale.
- Mouser Electronics: Global authorized catalog distributor of electronic components and electromechanical products to engineers and OEMs — overlapping product categories (connectors, switches, sensors, magnetics) and similar design-in customer base.
- Avnet: Global broadline distributor of electronic components serving OEMs — competing with rep agencies on design-in business across the same electromechanical and component categories.
- Digi-Key Electronics: Catalog and online distributor of millions of electronic components serving engineers and OEM buyers — competes with rep agencies on transactional and prototyping volume, particularly relevant for the same Upper Midwest OEM customer base.
- Arrow Electronics: Global broadline electronic components distributor serving OEMs across all component categories including connectors, sensors and electromechanical — substantially larger than Innovate Sales but addresses the same OEM customers with overlapping product portfolios.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Innovate Sales financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innovate Sales leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Innovate Sales funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Innovate Sales 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 Innovate Sales
What does Innovate Sales do?
Innovate Sales operates as a manufacturer's representative agency that sells electromechanical and electronic components on behalf of more than 20 manufacturers to OEM customers in the Upper Midwest. The firm supplements its distribution role with design-for-manufacturability consultation, new product design integration support, cost reduction analysis, and just-in-time inventory program coordination across categories including connectors, enclosures, sensors, switches, thermal management, batteries, displays, relays, and magnetics.
Is Innovate Sales a public or private company?
Innovate Sales is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Innovate Sales founded?
Innovate Sales was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Innovate Sales based?
Innovate Sales is headquartered in West Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Innovate Sales make money?
One revenue line is on record: sales Commission Revenue.
Who are Innovate Sales's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sager Electronics, Powell Electronics, Master Electronics, Component Distributors Inc. (CDI) and Heilind Electronics. Broad incumbents are Future Electronics, Mouser Electronics, Avnet, Digi-Key Electronics and Arrow Electronics.
Does Innovate Sales have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innovate Sales.