Automatic Control Services

What Automatic Control Services does

Automatic Control Services (ACS) is a privately held, Naperville, Illinois-based systems integrator founded in 1973 that designs, installs, and maintains SCADA and industrial control systems for municipal water and wastewater utilities. The company's core technology stack includes SCADA supervisory software, control panels with auto alarm dialers, PLC-based chemical mix and dosing controls, RTU-based pump station controls, HMI operator interface terminals, and wireless SCADA communications using directional and omni-directional antennas for remote well sites, elevated tanks, and distributed infrastructure. ACS supports a deliberately broad set of third-party software and hardware platforms — Wonderware, VT SCADA, GE Intelligent Platforms, ABB flowmeters, Dell hardware, SyTech XLReporter, CAS Data Loggers, and High Tide Technologies cloud SCADA — through certified partnership and integrator programs, which allows the firm to deliver tailored configurations against heterogeneous installed bases rather than being tied to a single vendor.

ACS operates a project-based, sales-led business model targeting municipal water and wastewater facilities in northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Revenue is generated through two primary streams: hardware and SCADA system sales for new installations and modernization projects, and recurring professional services including system integration, preventative maintenance, and flow meter calibration. Pricing is custom-quoted on a per-project basis with no public pricing disclosed. Marketing is conducted primarily through downloadable brochures, published case studies (Hoffman Estates, Oak Brook, Park Ridge, St. Charles), email newsletter subscription, and certified vendor partner channels rather than outbound demand generation.

The company is small (1–10 employees), founder/owner-operated with no disclosed institutional ownership, no parent company, and no M&A or funding history. Day-to-day operations are supported from a single Naperville shipping address with phone, fax, and email contact channels. The firm has operated continuously in the same regional niche for over 50 years, with no recent restructuring, leadership changes, or expansion announcements documented in the available data.

Name

Automatic Control Services

Legal name

Automatic Control Services

Website

https://acs.swschmitz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Automatic Control Services is a Naperville, Illinois-based systems integrator, founded in 1973, that designs, installs, and maintains SCADA and industrial control systems for municipal water and wastewater utilities in northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation / SCADA Systems Integration

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

SCADA, Instrumentation & Controls Integration for Water/Wastewater Projects (IMAFAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

SCADA/HMI Platforms (IMAGABAB), Online Monitoring, Sensors & Instrumentation (SCADA-integrated analyzers, probes, samplers) (EUANAJAC)

Keywords

• SCADA systems integration
• Water treatment automation
• Industrial control systems
• Wastewater control solutions
• Flow meter calibration

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. SCADA Systems and Control Products: Sale of industrial SCADA software, hardware control products, and related equipment for water and wastewater treatment applications
2. Professional Services: System integration, installation, and ongoing maintenance services for SCADA and control systems
3. Flow Meter Calibration: Calibration services for flow measurement equipment
4. Preventative Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance and support services for water control systems

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Automatic Control Services designs, builds, and supports SCADA and process control systems for municipal water and wastewater treatment plants and private industrial sites. The company integrates third-party SCADA software (Wonderware, GE, VT SCADA, ABB) with custom control panels, RTUs, PLCs, and wireless radio communications, and provides recurring preventative maintenance and flow meter calibration services across the Midwest.

Product overview

Automatic Control Services offers a unified portfolio of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and industrial control solutions for the water and wastewater treatment industries. The core offering consists of industrial SCADA and control software combined with hardware control products, supported by specialized services including Wireless SCADA Solutions, Preventative Maintenance, and Flow Meter Calibration. The company serves municipal and private industrial clients across northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VT SCADAcoreTechnology or IntegrationACS is a VT SCADA Certified Solution Provider, offering specialized expertise in VT SCADA software platforms for industrial control applications.
• ABBcoreTechnology or IntegrationACS is a Certified Service Partner for Magnetic Flowmeter Services, providing specialized flow measurement and instrumentation solutions for water treatment applications.
• GE Intelligent PlatformscoreTechnology or IntegrationACS participates in the GE Intelligent Platforms systems integrator program, providing expertise in GE industrial control and SCADA solutions.
• WonderwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationACS is a Wonderware System Integrator Partner, providing specialized SCADA and HMI solutions using Wonderware software platforms.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• McKim & Creed: McKim & Creed is a multi-disciplinary engineering firm that provides SCADA, instrumentation, and control system services for water/wastewater clients. Its broader engineering footprint contrasts with ACS's pure integrator focus but competes for the same municipal wallet.
• Brown and Caldwell: Brown and Caldwell is a major water and wastewater engineering and consulting firm that includes SCADA and control system services. It competes for larger municipal SCADA opportunities where ACS also bids.
• Stantec (Water practice): Stantec, formed via the acquisition of MWH Global, is a large global engineering and EPC firm with a dedicated water and SCADA integration practice. It competes with ACS on larger municipal SCADA projects and represents the broad-incumbent threat from scaled engineering firms.
• Xylem (Utility Solutions): Xylem's Utility Solutions business sells smart water meters, networked sensors, and analytics that increasingly compete for the same monitoring/automation budgets that ACS serves with traditional SCADA integrations.

Direct peers

• Tesco Controls: Tesco Controls is a SCADA systems integrator specializing in water, wastewater, and utility markets across the western U.S. Like ACS, it provides turnkey control panel fabrication, RTU/SCADA integration, and ongoing maintenance services for municipal utilities, making it a direct comparable in business model and customer type.
• Symbiont: Symbiont provides SCADA, instrumentation, and control system integration for water and wastewater treatment plants primarily in the Midwest. Its geographic and vertical overlap with ACS makes it a strong regional peer in the same niche.
• Revere Control Systems: Revere Control Systems is an industrial automation and SCADA systems integrator serving water/wastewater, power, and process industries. Its multi-vendor integration approach, municipal utility focus, and systems integration services closely mirror ACS's positioning.
• Caldwell Systems: Caldwell Systems (formerly Caldwell Watermark) is a SCADA integration and control panel builder focused on water/wastewater utilities. Its vertical specialization and integrator model make it a comparable peer for ACS.
• Control Systems International: Control Systems International is a SCADA and industrial automation systems integrator serving utilities and process industries. Its project-based integration, control panel fabrication, and municipal water/wastewater work overlap directly with ACS's offering.

Emerging players

• High Tide Technologies: High Tide Technologies is a cloud-based SCADA provider for water and wastewater utilities. As a current ACS technology partner, it competes in adjacent solution categories and represents the cloud-native threat to traditional integrators like ACS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100071721304805
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automatic-control-services

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 Automatic Control Services