Automated Control Systems
For more on this business,
Christopher Tucker, president of Automated Control Systems Inc.,
answers the questions for today’s Small Business Snapshot.
What is the primary purpose of your business? To provide quality engineering services and support to manufacturing companies. We deal heavily with electrical engineering principles and custom applications designed to suit our customers needs. We provide residential and commercial customers with electrical contractor services and also offer services such as 3D printing, CAD development, property inspections and electrical component sales.
What is the business background of the owners? This is my first business that I have owned or operated. This is something that I am truly passonate about, so I have taken classes and attended seminars to help with managing all aspects of our business. Why did you start this
particular business? I have worked for two large engineering firms and was not pleased with the level of service they provided or allowed their employees to provide. I opened Automated Control Systems in 2013 after leaving one of those companies. I felt that the customers we were providing services to were seldom happy about the level of service or the invoiced amount. We strive to provide top quality services at reasonable rates. What makes your business unique? Our business is not brand specific or tied to any specific manufacturing environment. As most engineering companies solely focus on one brand of product or one type of manufacturing industry. We have over 19 accreditations from automation companies which allow us to provide sales, service and support on virtually any system. We also provide services to nearly every manufacturing industry, such as automotive, pharmaceutical, plastics, recycling and mining. Also, a lot of the other engineering firms seldom give back to their communities. One thing that helps us to stay humble is the community project fund we have setup. At least once a year, we try to complete projects that will help enhance our communities. We offer no cost training course to local maintenance individuals, which can enhance their skill set and career. But we also try once a year to complete an installation project to help the community, such as a surveillance project at a local park where children’s items keep being taken and property is vandalized. We strive to stay humble and give back to the communities that made us the people we are today.
What do you enjoy most about your chosen profession? We deal with a variety of products, so our job is constantly changing. Even though we may have dealt with a system before, the customer’s issue is seldom the same, and the fact that we get to play with robotics all day.
What has been the biggest or most interesting challenge to overcome as a small business owner? To be perfectly honest, I have worked jobs that required 60-70 hours per week and owning this business is 10 times more tiring. But I love what I do and would not
trade this for anything. At the end of the day, I know somewhere along the way I have made a difference.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with
our readers? Feel free to check out our website at www.controls-acs.com for more information about our company and to volunteer your help on one of our community projects.