TriTed Innovation
Resourceful robotics firm continues to grow
CAMBRIDGE — Resourcefulness.
It’s a trait that led to the founding of Cambridge robotics and automation firm TriTed Innovation, and it’s helped the firm as it continues to grow10 years later.
“One lesson I’ve learned is that in order to grow, it doesn’t come down to the resources you have. It’s how resourceful you are,” said co-founder Miro Pantic.
They’ve invested in new equipment, like a water jet that’s faster and more efficient in machining certain parts than conventional means. They’re looking into 3D printing technology for certain applications. They’ve bought their own truck to ensure nothing’s left to chance when shipping times are of the essence.
“Everything we approach as being a puzzle, and trying to solve it,” Pantic said. “We don’t like to say problems. They’re puzzles.”
It’s a spirit that turned a negative into a positive a decade ago. The Milton automation company where Pantic and Mehrdad Tufani worked closed its doors, the victim of a recession that hit the auto sector and its suppliers especially hard.
Pantic and Tufani knew that as their plant and others closed, projects were being abandoned. The resourceful pair went to some of their former customers, pledging to finish the work. TriTed Innovation was born.
The company specializes in custom solutions for its clients, the majority of whom are in the automotive industry. One of its loyal customers is Guelph-based Linamar.
TriTed projects — dealing with both plastics and metal — have included conveyor systems, material handling systems, automated drilling and punching machines, ultrasonic welding, and inspection and testing equipment.
Today, the company finds itself quickly outgrowing its rented 12,000-square-foot facility on Shearson Crescent. Last year, TriTed expanded into a second nearby space, giving them an additional 6,000 square feet — a move they thought was temporary in support of a particular job.
But the orders keep coming. “Last year, we doubled our output,” Tufani noted. Staffing levels have basically doubled in a year’s time, too, to more than 30 people.
“It’s just such a huge demand,” Pantic said. “I cannot send enough quotes.” They’re booking jobs now that will be delivered next spring.
They’re looking to move to a larger facility, preferably a location that would allow for expansion in the future. They’re hoping to remain in Cambridge, in part so as not to inconvenience longtime employees. Proximity to the region’s post-secondary institutions also gives them access to skilled workers.
With their business split between Canada and the United States, the founders admit that tariffs are a concern, even if an impact hasn’t yet been felt. TriTed could expand certain operations into the U.S. if necessary, but Pantic said they’d want to at least maintain engineering and design functions here.
“That’s the core of our business,” he said. “Everything we make, we essentially invent.”