What Pico Systems does

Pico Systems, Inc. is a privately held systems integrator founded in 1999 and headquartered at 2001 South Main Street, Suite 207-D, Blacksburg, Virginia. The firm designs and delivers custom software, controls, and data-acquisition systems for manufacturing clients concentrated in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia, with a stated specialty in munitions plants, propellant manufacturing, and other energetic-materials production environments. Its portfolio spans plant-floor automation and integration (Allen Bradley, Schneider, Siemens), process control for batch and continuous operations, recipe enforcement and material tracking using intrinsically safe mobile barcode scanners, automated test equipment, mechanical test systems, real-time X-ray (RTR) inspection, munitions quality testing with DSP-driven pressure and burn-rate measurement, and web-based environmental compliance systems for explosive waste disposal.

The company's technology stack centers on industrial-grade platforms (Wonderware InTouch, Siemens WinCC, FactoryView, Plant SCADA, Tatsoft), LabVIEW-based test programming, and SQL Server/.NET databases for tracking applications. Hardware integration includes GPIB-controlled rack-mounted ATE, National Instruments high-speed analog I/O, proprietary TTL sequencing logic, and hardware safety interlocks for explosive-handling environments. The firm carries defense-procurement credentials including ITAR Registration (M25561), CCR Registration, CAGE Code 5JXF3, and a Virginia Class A Contractors License.

Pico Systems operates on a project-based, quote-priced professional services and turnkey-integration model, with no disclosed recurring SaaS revenue, no published pricing, and no named customer logos. Go-to-market is direct and referral-driven, relying on long-tenured relationships and word-of-mouth within the regional munitions cluster. The team is small (approximately four technical staff led by Director of Operations Joe Trout and Senior Systems Engineer Denny Carlyle, who brings 33 years of experience at the local arsenal), and no external funding, M&A, partnerships, or named customers are disclosed in available materials.

Name

Pico Systems

Legal name

Pico Systems, Inc.

Website

https://picosystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pico Systems is a privately held systems integrator in Blacksburg, Virginia that designs custom controls, data-acquisition, and process-automation software for regional munitions plants and energetic-materials manufacturers, delivered as turnkey projects or engineering-department extensions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Blacksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Systems Integration Services: Custom turnkey solutions for manufacturing customers, providing complete systems from conception through delivery. Revenue generated through project-based engagements for controls and data acquisition systems.
2. Software Development Services: Software solutions provided as an extension of customer engineering departments. Includes custom software development for handheld computers, tracking systems, and interface development with factory controls equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Pico Systems provides custom software and turnkey systems for industrial controls and high-speed data acquisition, primarily serving manufacturing clients in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia. Its offerings span process control system design and integration, automated test equipment, environmental permit compliance for explosive waste, recipe enforcement and barcode-based material tracking, munitions quality testing, and plant floor automation on Allen Bradley, Schneider, and Siemens platforms. The company frequently deploys systems in explosive production environments and hazardous materials facilities.

Product overview

Pico Systems is a systems integrator providing turnkey solutions for manufacturing and industrial applications in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia. The company offers a portfolio of specialized systems including Plant Floor Automation and Integration using major PLC platforms (Allen Bradley, Schneider, Siemens), Process Control Systems for batch and continuous manufacturing, Automated Test Equipment (ATE) for quality control, Environmental Permit Systems for waste disposal compliance, Recipe Enforcement and Material Tracking Systems with barcode scanning for chemical and propellant manufacturing, Munitions Quality Testing Systems for pressure and burn rate measurement, Mechanical Test Systems for materials testing, and Multi-axis Stepper Motor Controllers for final product testing. These products work as integrated solutions addressing the specific needs of munitions plants, propellant manufacturing, and energetic materials production facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Process Control Systems Process control systems for batch and continuous manufacturing, including waste acid control strategies, NC cutter upgrades, canister packing systems integration, and waste incinerator HMI software. Designed for manufacturing clients in munitions and energetic materials plants.
• Automated Test Systems Automated test equipment (ATE) for factory floor and lab testing, including realtime X-ray inspection controls, MACS Lab Scale logging, and rheology press control with data acquisition. Used by manufacturing clients for quality and process testing.
• Environmental Permit Systems Environmental compliance systems for explosive waste disposal that combine web-based front-ends with SQL Server databases to log chemical analysis, compose waste batches, and verify DEQ permit compliance. Environmental engineers maintain and approve the data.
• Recipe Enforcement and Material Tracking Systems Systems that use intrinsically safe mobile devices with built-in barcode scanners as the primary operator interface for process verification and inventory management in chemical and propellant manufacturing, enforcing correct ingredients and procedures while logging quantities and locations.
• Munitions Quality Testing Systems Automated systems that measure pressure rise and burn rate of propellants and solid rocket motors using DSP algorithms, graphical user presentation, and reporting, with proprietary TTL sequencing logic and hardware safety interlocks. Intended for munitions quality testing in defense manufacturing.
• Multi-axis Stepper Motor Controller (ATE) 19-inch rack-mounted automated test equipment built from Agilent and Tektronix instruments that functions as a final test station for high-end drives and controllers, including a burn-in period with results tabulated in a database for product documentation. Sold to an ISO 9001 supplier of high-end drives and controllers.
• Mechanical Test Systems Custom mechanical test systems including materials test frames for high-speed tension, compression, and shear testing under controlled temperature (-70 to 150°C) and humidity environments. Used by industrial clients for materials testing.
• Plant Floor Automation and Integration Industrial automation services covering process systems integration using Allen Bradley, Schneider, and Siemens platforms along with HMI development on Wonderware, FactoryView, Plant SCADA, and Tatsoft, and network integration for manufacturing facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Systems deployed in explosive production environments with safety interlocks

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hallam-ICS: Mid-size U.S. systems integrator offering process control, automation, and compliance solutions for regulated and industrial manufacturers. Comparable to Pico as an independent integrator serving manufacturing clients with similar project-based control system work.
• SAGE Automation: Industrial automation and control systems integrator delivering turnkey solutions for manufacturing and infrastructure clients. Comparable to Pico as a mid-size integrator specializing in PLC, SCADA, and HMI deployment, with defense and industrial customers.
• Applied Control Engineering: Independent systems integrator specializing in process control and factory automation across multiple PLC platforms. Directly comparable to Pico in business model and technology stack, though ACE generally operates across a broader customer base and geographies.
• Avanceon: Systems integrator providing control, automation, and process solutions across process industries in North America, Middle East, and Asia. Directly comparable as a multi-platform integrator serving industrial clients with custom process automation work similar to Pico's offerings.
• RoviSys: Independent systems integrator delivering process automation, control, and information solutions across process industries. Highly comparable to Pico as a multi-OEM systems integrator, though RoviSys operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Process Solutions: Large incumbent providing Experion DCS, safety systems, and process automation solutions for chemical, petrochemical, and defense-adjacent industries. Comparable as a broad process-control platform vendor that competes for the same plant modernization projects as Pico.
• Emerson Automation Solutions: Major industrial automation incumbent with its DeltaV DCS and process control portfolio, directly serving chemical, munitions, and energetics plants. While Emerson is much larger and broader, its installed base overlaps with the same customer segments Pico targets at southwest Virginia facilities.
• Schneider Electric: Global industrial automation incumbent offering Modicon PLCs and EcoStruxure, which Pico explicitly integrates. Operates broadly across industries and competes for the same plant-floor automation spend at munitions and energetics customers.
• Rockwell Automation: Global leader in industrial automation and the maker of Allen Bradley PLCs, which Pico Systems explicitly integrates. Operates broadly across process and discrete industries and does not specialize in the munitions niche, but competes for the same modernization budgets and shapes the platform ecosystem Pico builds on.
• Siemens Industry: Major incumbent in industrial automation with SIMATIC PLCs and WinCC HMI (both explicitly used by Pico Systems). Comparable as a broad platform vendor whose hardware and software underpin many of the same factory environments Pico integrates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pico-systems-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Pico Systems