Top City Small Business Awards | Automation Controls, Inc
How did you get to where you are today with your business?
PAUL: My wife and I moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas after graduating from Kansas State University. We both worked initially for manufacturing businesses. After five years I went to work for a systems integrator because that was my passion. I believed a systems integration business could prosper here in Northeast Kansas, and we could raise our family in a great environment at the same time.
What motivated you to open your business in the Topeka area and how has the community impacted your growth and trajectory?
For us, the Topeka area was home and where we wanted to base our business. The community has been very supportive of us through matching grants by GO Topeka. Over the years, we began to realize how important it was for local businesses to stay current with technology so they could be competitive on the world market. Our customers recognize that we’re keeping them on the leading edge of technology and have remained faithful to us.
What sets you apart from other businesses in your industry?
We have a great passion to train the next generation. Our goal is to try and encourage as many high school students as we can to enter the automation field. We sit on a board at Washburn Tech to help them keep the curriculum relevant to the current needs of the market.
What did it mean to you and your team to be a finalist in the Small Business Manufacturer category of the Small Business Awards?
Without a doubt, winning is a great reward to our whole team. We are very humbled to have been nominated and very thankful to the community for this honor.Winning is a seal of approval for our calling to encourage the next generation to get the skills they need and find a passion like we did.
