What Timberline Automation & Control Co. does

Timberline Automation & Control Co. (TAC) is a privately held industrial automation company headquartered in Washougal, Washington, founded in 2015 and operating with a headcount of approximately five employees. The company began as a control panel fabrication shop serving industrial and marine customers in the Pacific Northwest, and has since expanded into robotics integration, PLC and SCADA software development, and full turnkey automation system design. Its core technology stack is built on the Beckhoff TwinCAT platform for PLC, HMI, SCADA, and TwinCAT Vision development, alongside UL 508A certified panel fabrication and NFPA 79 compliant builds. The company operates its own rapid prototyping facility equipped with laser cutting, seven 3D printers (FDM and SLA), CNC machining, and vinyl cutting, enabling integrated mechanical, electrical, and software design under one roof.

TAC's product portfolio centers on the proprietary PALTZ line of robotic palletizers (five models ranging from 40 to 70 lbs payload, with cycle speeds of 6.5 to 12 cycles per minute and configurations from collaborative to industrial robots) and the integration and distribution of Doosan collaborative robots across the E-, H-, A-, and M-Series lines. Service offerings include UL 508A control panel fabrication, PLC programming, modernization of legacy control systems, mechanical design using the Autodesk suite, and complete product development from concept through production-ready implementation. The company addresses four primary use cases: marine electrical and controls (commercial ships, tugs, workboats), off-grid operations (containerized and mobile automation with solar and battery integration), material handling (conveying, sorting, palletizing), and general industrial automation (biotech, semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, recycling).

The business model is project-based professional services and productized hardware sales, with all commercial engagement routed through a quote-based contact workflow. Revenue streams include one-time control panel fabrication, professional services for PLC programming and product development, hardware sales of PALTZ palletizers and Doosan cobots, and managed services for off-grid automation platforms. Customers include Matson (marine transportation), Columbia Machine (material handling), Lab0 (custom automation startup), the University of Washington (research), and GIWX (industrial). The company is a certified member of the Beckhoff Integrator Group and an authorized regional distributor of Doosan Robotics, with additional integration partnerships with SICK (sensors and safety) and Serapid (heavy-load lift systems). Geographic focus is the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, with no disclosed expansion outside this market.

Name

Timberline Automation & Control Co.

Legal name

Timberline Automation and Control Co.

Website

https://tac.io

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Timberline Automation & Control Co. is a Washougal, WA-based industrial automation firm offering UL 508A control panels, PLC programming, PALTZ robotic palletizers, and Doosan cobot integration for marine, material handling, off-grid, and general manufacturing customers in the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Services

NAICS

Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Engineering & Power Distribution (Generation, Switchboards, Cabling, Lighting) (IMAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Industrial automation
• Control panels
• PLC programming
• Collaborative robots
• Robotic palletizers

Headquarters

HQ city

Washougal

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, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Control Panel Fabrication: Design and fabrication of UL 508A certified industrial control panels for manufacturing automation, robotics platforms, mobile equipment, and marine applications. Includes ground-up engineering and build-to-print services.
2. System Modernization Services: Control system modernization including redesign of existing control panels, legacy system upgrades with modern automation technologies, servo-based motion platforms, and industrial networking integration.
3. PLC Programming Services: PLC, HMI, and SCADA software development for industrial machines and process systems including machine sequencing, motion integration, safety logic, alarms, diagnostics, recipe handling, and supervisory control.
4. Product Development Services: Turn-key automation system development from concept through prototype, validation, and production-ready implementation including mechanical design, electrical design, controls architecture, and system integration.
5. Cobot Integration and Distribution: Distribution and integration of Doosan collaborative robots including E-Series, H-Series, A-Series, and M-Series cobots with installation, commissioning, and support services.
6. PALTZ Palletizers: Sale of proprietary PALTZ robotic palletizing systems including PALTZ.17C, PALTZ.17CS, PALTZ.17CSV, PALTZ.17CF, and PALTZ.i35 models for material handling applications.
7. Mechanical Design Services: Mechanical design services including system layout and configuration, custom sub-assembly design, and integrated development with electrical and software design using Autodesk suite.
8. Off-Grid Automation Systems: Containerized and mobile automation platforms for remote deployments including power systems, monitoring, security, and user integration services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Timberline Automation & Control Co. (TAC) designs, fabricates, and integrates industrial automation solutions including UL 508A certified control panels, PLC/HMI/SCADA software, mechanical design, robotic palletizing systems, and collaborative robot integration for marine, material handling, off-grid, and general industrial customers in the Pacific Northwest.

Product overview

Timberline Automation and Control Co. (TAC) is an industrial automation company offering a portfolio of products and services centered on control panels, collaborative robots, and custom automation systems. The product lineup includes PALTZ palletizers (PALTZ.17C, PALTZ.17CS, PALTZ.17CSV, PALTZ.17CF, and PALTZ.i35 models) and Doosan collaborative robots across E-Series, H-Series, A-Series, and M-Series lines. These products are complemented by services including UL508A control panel fabrication, PLC programming, cobot integration, marine electrical and controls, product development, mechanical design, and material handling automation. TAC serves multiple industries including marine, off-grid, material handling, and general automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PALTZ Palletizer Line Line of robotic palletizing systems (PALTZ.17C, PALTZ.17CS, PALTZ.17CSV, PALTZ.17CF, and PALTZ.i35) with 40-70 lb capacities, 6.5-12 cycles/minute speeds, touch screen HMIs, pallet locators, and pneumatic or electric grippers for industrial material handling end users.
• Doosan Collaborative Robots Distributed collaborative robot product line (E-Series for Food & Beverage with NSF/IP66 rating, H-Series for high-payload tasks, A-Series for agile applications, M-Series premium dexterity) with payloads ranging from 5-25 kg and reaches from 0.9-1.7 m, sold to industrial customers in the Pacific Northwest.
• Industrial Control Panels Custom-designed and fabricated UL 508A certified control panels including ground-up engineering, build-to-print services, panel modernization, and legacy upgrades for industrial and marine customers.
• PLC Programming Services Custom PLC, HMI, and SCADA software development including machine sequencing, motion integration, safety logic, alarms, diagnostics, recipe handling, and supervisory control for industrial machines and process systems.
• Marine Electrical & Controls Marine-specific electrical and control systems for commercial ships, tugs, and workboats including main switchboards, pump controllers, alarm monitoring panels, and shipyard wiring/installation for new construction and retrofit projects.
• Product Development Services End-to-end custom automation system development including mechanical design, electrical design, controls architecture, prototype fabrication, validation testing, and production-ready implementation for first-of-a-kind industrial machines and pilot process development.
• Mechanical Design Services Mechanical engineering services covering system layout and configuration, custom sub-assembly design, and integrated mechanical/electrical/software development supported by in-house rapid prototyping (laser cutter, 3D printers, CNC, lathe, mill).
• Off-Grid Automation Systems Containerized and mobile automation platforms deployed in locations without grid power or traditional infrastructure, integrating solar power, battery storage, energy management controls, remote monitoring, and cellular/satellite communications.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Doosan RoboticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTAC is an authorized distributor of the entire Doosan collaborative robot product line including E-Series, H-Series, A-Series, and M-Series cobots. TAC provides selection assistance, installation, commissioning, and ongoing support for Doosan cobots in the Pacific Northwest.
• BeckhoffcoreTechnology or IntegrationAs an official member of the Beckhoff Integrator Group, TAC has privileged access to the latest tools and technologies from Beckhoff, one of the world's fastest-growing industrial controls companies. TAC develops PLC, HMI, and SCADA software primarily using Beckhoff TwinCAT.
• SerapidsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTAC is a system integrator for Serapid, enabling solutions for elevation and transfer of heavy loads using Serapid's Link Lift technology.
• SICKsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTAC distributes SICK solutions including sensors, cameras for computer vision, and safety-rated area sensors for industrial automation applications.
• Lab0supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLab0 partnered with TAC for custom automation including specialized handling systems and trailer loading/unloading solutions. Lab0 was TAC's first successful '0 to 1' customer, engaging TAC to develop an automation prototype that helped Lab0 secure Series A funding.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Universal Robots: Universal Robots is a leading cobot manufacturer competing directly with Doosan — TAC's cobot line — making UR a relevant incumbent peer in the collaborative robotics space TAC serves.
• Rockwell Automation: Rockwell Automation is a global incumbent in industrial automation, control systems, and PLCs — operating far more broadly than TAC but competing for the same industrial automation wallet.
• Siemens Digital Industries: Siemens is a global automation incumbent offering PLCs, SCADA, drives, and integrated automation — comparable as a broad competitor whose platforms TAC also supports via its multi-platform PLC expertise.

Direct peers

• Patti Engineering: Patti Engineering is a controls and automation integrator specializing in PLC programming, robotics, and custom machine building — closely matching TAC's PLC, cobot integration, and turnkey automation offerings.
• Sage Automation: Sage Automation is a US-based systems integrator providing custom automation, robotics integration, and control panel fabrication for industrial customers — directly comparable to TAC's core services across manufacturing and material handling.
• Calvary Robotics: Calvary Robotics provides custom automation, robotic palletizing, and integrated control systems for industrial customers, overlapping with TAC's PALTZ palletizer line and turnkey automation services.
• Premier Automation: Premier Automation is a control system integrator providing custom automated machinery, robotics, and control panels — matching TAC's UL 508A panel shop and automation services.
• Automation IG (now Acieta): Automation IG / Acieta is a robotic integration and automation solutions provider offering custom robotic cells and material handling automation — comparable to TAC's cobot and palletizing work.
• Integro Technologies: Integro Technologies is a machine vision and automation integrator offering custom automation systems and controls integration, directly comparable to TAC's PLC, vision, and system integration capabilities.

Regional players

• Columbia Machine: Columbia Machine is a material handling and palletizing equipment manufacturer and a named TAC customer; while not a direct competitor, it is a relevant peer in the Pacific Northwest material handling automation market where TAC operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/TimberlineControls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/timberline-automation-and-control

Compliance2 records

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 Timberline Automation & Control Co.