Audio tech maker moves crosstown, near base
Sound tech company PUI Audio has completed its move to a new location in Fairborn, with plans to create new jobs and expand its products in the medical and industrial tech industries.
PUI Audio designs and develops sound technology such as microphones, speakers and receivers, which are often then implemented in other manufactured devices. PUI’s speakers have been installed in medical respirators developed by Philips, GE Healthcare and General Motors, which were used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company moved to Fairborn because the new location provides for growth, and is
located in the tech corridor near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, CEO Paul Spain said.
“There’s a lot of technical companies
around that area, so it’s a much better fit for us in the electronics industry,” he said.
Formerly a subsidiary of Projects
Unlimited, a Vandalia-based aerospace electronics firm, PUI Audio spun off in 2018 and is now owned by Champlain Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity fund.
2020 was a banner year for the company, and PUI saw another 18% swell in 2021, bringing its growth to nearly 40% in two years. PUI recently rolled out new products in haptics technology, which gives the user a tactile response, such as when a phone vibrates or a game controller rumbles. PUI has plans to take the technology into devices for the medical, industrial and security industries.
“We believe there’s a big opportunity for haptics in the markets we’re already serving,” Spain
said. “For example, in medical, we believe there’s a huge opportunity for additional feedback to patients, to surgeons and so on. There’s lots of different applications in which haptics can be used.”
PUI is also looking to expand further beyond the North American market, which currently accounts for just over 70% of sales, and is investing in its digital marketing.
Last year, JobsOhio awarded the company a $25,000 grant to help relocate its operations to Fairborn and to add 10 new jobs, expanding its engineering, sales and warehouse teams. The 21,000-squarefoot building has an even mix of office and warehouse space, which is necessary for its equal roles in design and distribution.
“We’re an innovative company developing an innovative product, and so we try to keep that Dayton history of innovation in the building,” Spain said. “Adding 10 people is a big deal for us, because we’re not a huge company to start with. We have the revenue and financials of a mid-sized company, but a small group of people, so it feels like a startup. It’s a great culture to have.”