What TECS does

TECS, Inc. (Tradeshow Event Creation Services) is a privately held, founder-owned firm founded in 1999 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that provides custom tradeshow exhibit design, fabrication, and event production services to enterprise marketing teams. The company organizes its offering into three integrated service lines — Design, Build, and Inspire — covering brand-aligned concept design, on-time/on-budget exhibit construction, and live event production including high-tech demonstrations and presentations. Additional capabilities include mobile exhibits housed in air-ride trailers, automated demonstration kiosks triggered by retro-reflective sensors, and hi-tech displays combining visual hardware with "info-tainment" elements.

The underlying technology is rooted in custom physical fabrication and mechanical/electrical engineering rather than software. Notable technical achievements include an environmental chamber exhibit capable of reaching -10°F used for live product demonstrations at the North American International Auto Show, which earned a nomination for Event Solutions Magazine's "Best Technical Supplier of the Year." The firm has served a roster of enterprise clients including General Motors, Ford UAW, HORIBA, ETAS, FEV, Microheat, Delaco Steel, Crown Bioscience, Weber Ultrasonics, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Climate Control, with a primary vertical focus on automotive and adjacent exposure to manufacturing, life sciences, and consumer/tourism events.

TECS operates a quote-based, project-by-project professional services revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, supported by a website portfolio, toll-free phone and email contact channels, and visibility through major industry trade shows. The company employs 11-50 people and is led by two Executive Producers — Tom Salveta (40+ years industry experience) and Steve Nicolich (25+ years) — with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding.

Name

TECS

Legal name

TECS, Inc.

Website

https://tecsinc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TECS, Inc. is a privately held Ann Arbor-based firm providing custom tradeshow exhibit design, fabrication, and live event production services primarily to enterprise automotive, manufacturing, and life sciences marketing teams through a project-based quoting model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tradeshow Exhibit Design and Event Production Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK), Scenic Fabrication & Set/Stage Carpentry (MPAGAKAG)

Keywords

• Tradeshow exhibit design
• Custom exhibit fabrication
• Event production services
• Branded exhibit environments
• Live demonstration kiosks

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibit Design Services: Custom exhibit design services leveraging client brand equity into exhibit concepts that communicate brand message and engage target audiences.
2. Exhibit Build Services: Custom exhibit fabrication and construction on time and on budget, using materials and techniques that communicate client messages.
3. Event Production and Presentation Services: High-tech demo, presentation, and event services including live marketing, set-up, and presentation during client events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TECS designs, fabricates, and operates custom tradeshow exhibits and branded event environments for enterprise clients in the automotive, manufacturing, and life-sciences sectors. The company provides an integrated Design-Build-Inspire service suite covering custom exhibit design, physical exhibit fabrication on time and on budget, and live event/presentation execution that combines high-tech displays, automated demonstration kiosks, mobile exhibits, and interactive "info-tainment" experiences.

Product overview

TECS (Tradeshow Event Creation Services) provides an integrated suite of three core services: Design, Build, and Inspire. The Design service creates custom exhibit designs leveraging client brand equity. The Build service constructs custom exhibits using materials and techniques that communicate client messages. The Inspire service creates signature event environments with high-tech demos, presentations, and live events. These services can be engaged individually or as a complete end-to-end solution, with TECS working alongside client marketing teams from strategy development through execution. Additional offerings include mobile exhibits, automated demonstration kiosks, and hi-tech display solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibit Design Services Custom exhibit design that translates client brand equity into exhibit concepts with form and function to communicate with target audiences; delivered through strategy collaboration with clients' marketing teams.
• Exhibit Build Services Custom exhibit construction on time and on budget, using materials and techniques that communicate client messages; over 20 years of building experience backing the practice.
• Event/Presentation Services (Inspire) Creation of signature event environments featuring high-tech demos, presentations, and live events, including on-site set-up and live presentation during client events such as the Chevy Avalanche Ultimate Challenge tour.
• Mobile Exhibits Portable exhibition environments housed in trailers with air-ride suspension that create mobile hi-tech educational environments for events and tours.
• Automated Demonstration Kiosks Self-operating demonstration kiosks featuring retro-reflective trip sensors that trigger synchronized sight, sound, and touch experiences for product demonstrations at trade shows.
• Hi-Tech Displays High-technology display solutions coupled with "info-tainment" elements designed to attract and engage trade show audiences for hi-tech products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental chamber exhibit attracted large crowds at the North American International Auto Show

Named customers16 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 indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Freeman: Freeman is the largest global provider of brand experiences, trade show exhibits, and event production services. While TECS operates at a much smaller scale in the same automotive-trade-show niche, Freeman competes for many of the same enterprise exhibit and event production engagements.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Jack Morton is a global experience brand agency that produces live events, brand activations, and trade show experiences. TECS is explicitly referenced as having supported a Jack Morton-produced Chevy Avalanche tour, and the two firms overlap as competitors for branded experiential work.
• GES (Global Experience Specialists): GES is a major global provider of exhibit services, event logistics, and trade show management serving enterprise exhibitors across industries. It competes with TECS for custom exhibit fabrication and on-site services, particularly for large corporate trade show programs.

Direct peers

• Derse: Derse is a full-service exhibit house providing custom exhibit design, fabrication, and on-site services for trade shows and events. It directly competes with TECS for mid-sized enterprise exhibit programs across multiple verticals.
• 2020 Exhibits: 2020 Exhibits is a custom exhibit house providing design, fabrication, and event services for trade shows and corporate events. It is a comparable peer in the mid-sized custom exhibit segment where TECS operates.
• Hill & Partners: Hill & Partners is a custom exhibit and brand activation company offering design, fabrication, and event services. It competes with TECS for custom trade show exhibits and brand experiences for enterprise clients.
• Sparks: Sparks is a specialized exhibit, event, and retail experience agency that designs and builds custom exhibits and brand environments. It directly competes with TECS in custom exhibit fabrication and on-site event production for enterprise clients.
• Hamilton Exhibits: Hamilton Exhibits designs and builds custom trade show exhibits, museum displays, and brand environments. It directly competes with TECS for custom exhibit build and design work across enterprise verticals.
• Czarnowski Display Service: Czarnowski is a long-standing custom exhibit and brand experience company offering design, fabrication, and event production. It is comparable in offering to TECS and competes for enterprise trade show exhibit budgets.

Emerging players

• MKG (MKG Events): MKG is an experiential marketing agency producing brand experiences, events, and activations for enterprise clients. It overlaps with TECS on the 'Inspire' / live event production side rather than fabrication, and is a partial competitor for experiential budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 TECS