WRC and ProSoft Technology Team Up
at the Rockwell Automation Fair™

November 16 - 17, 2011 in Chicago

WRC joined with ProSoft Technology (www.prosoft-technology.com) to present WRC network communication Encompass Partner products, providing product support and application information at the ProSoft Technology booth this year.

Western Reserve Controls and ProSoft Technology Strategic Alliance

Akron, OH and Bakersfield, CA - September 1, 2011

Western Reserve Controls, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic products for the industrial, commercial and aerospace automation markets, and ProSoft Technology, Inc. (www.prosoft-technology.com), a leading industrial communications company, have formed a strategic alliance in which ProSoft Technology will become a worldwide reseller of the following select WRC network communication products: CAN-Bus and DeviceNet Extenders and Repeaters and Gateways for DeviceNet

ProSoft Technology will assume exclusive sales rights for these WRC network communication products and offer technical support for them.

This partnership offers WRC’s customers expanded access to its products through ProSoft’s global sales, support and distribution network creating new opportunities for excellent solutions. ProSoft’s customers will have access to additional products and technologies for distributed sensor, actuator and communications applications

Four new products unveiled at the Rockwell Encompass™ Automation Fair, November 2010 in Orlando

WRC is pleased to announce the development of new products for Ethernet/IP and Devicenet. Visit our Encompass Partner Products page for more information.

WRC Holocon Controller Contributes to German Holonics Research

The WRC Holocon is currently the only American-made controller featured in the IEC61499 interoperability test-bed research at Martin-Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

Link to see a photo of W2 Holocon Function-block-controller alongside German and Italian components. Follow links under "TESTBED IEC 61499" menu (to left) to see the functions of each station in the test bed: distribution, testing, processing and handling; along with the many process modules and their functions within each station.

Western Reserve Controls is honored to be a participant in this ground-breaking research and development to make mass customization an every-day reality.

IEC61499 Multi-agent Open Controls presentation:

"IEC61499 - a Multi-Agent Based, Open Control Standard" will be the final presentation at the Remote Monitoring 2005 and Onsite Power 2005 Conference in Orlando, FL on Oct. 7th.

This presentation describes a high-speed manufacturing process implemented with this underlying technology that meets the objectives of high-speed, high-volume, mass customization with a lot size of "ONE".

Software Agent-Based control promises enhancements to today's hierarchical control architecture allowing flatter, highly distributed, networked, autonomous, yet cooperative control.

(November 2004) WRC wins the 2004
Greater Akron Business Conference
"Top Success Story Award"

Taking control of destiny

By Abby Cymerman
Smart Business Akron/Canton - November 2004 - SPECIAL REPORT

An Akron company learns that wishful thinking doesn't always work in the business world.

Western Reserve Controls Inc. (WRC), an industrial electronics manufacturer, was founded by President Jim Barlow and Vice President for Technology Fred Billock in September 1990 as a management buyout from Rockwell International.

The company acquired a low-cost product line in Taiwan and planned to market the line through U.S. and international distributors.

The product line had more than 300 parts, and lead time to get products out of Taiwan was four months. The company didn't have the capability or the cash to forecast 300 parts accurately over a four-month period and couldn't afford to stock the shelves hoping it had the right mix. Barlow and Billock soon realized WRC didn't have the same marketing clout as bigger companies, and the founders took a leap of faith and moved their production facility to Akron.

This created new challenges -- such as organizing a plant, finding and training employees, and developing processes to manufacture a quality product -- but it didn't cost any more money. Wages were higher in Akron, but WRC eliminated a layer of margin built in by the Taiwanese contractor, as well as expensive freight and duty fees.

Nine years later, Barlow and Billock changed their business model again. They conducted a ruthlessly honest assessment of the company and found their strengths were engineering and manufacturing and their weakness was marketing.

In response to the assessment, they developed WRCoutsource USA, a plan to offer WRC's engineering and manufacturing talents as a package to organizations that either were understaffed or that had no electronic staff. This allowed it to approach a more focused set of customers.

As a result, WRCoutsource has grown from 0 percent of the company's sales in 2000 to 60 percent of sales in 2004, with 2005 expected to be another banner year.

Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic proclaimed Jan. 5, 2000, as Western Reserve Controls Day, and recognized the "unique public-private partnership in forming WRC into a leading manufacturer of industrial controls and in recognition of the growth of the company." Today, WRC's 11,000-square-foot factory markets it products across the United States and in 20 countries.

WRC is pleased to announce WRC Outsource USA
for OEM value-added design solutions.

Link to full story

Western Reserve Controls acquires assets of JNM Corp.

Western Reserve Controls has completed the acquisition of the assets of JNM Corp. JNM is a manufacturer of analytical sampling systems and panels for industrial and environmental applications. Founded in 1990, Western Reserve Controls is a manufacturer of "Blue-Collar," industrial electronics, signal conditioning, industrial I/O, solid-state relays, and SCADA products. Western Reserve Controls markets its products across the US and exports to 15 countries. Manufacturing of JNM products will be moved to WRC's Akron facility. Terms were not disclosed.

Industrial Incubator Hatches Another Success Story—by Mark Williamson

(Akron Beacon Journal) Western Reserve Controls, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic controls that got its start in the Akron Industrial Incubator in May of 1991, has graduated to its own facility. At his weekly news conference today, Mayor Don Plusquellic credited the Industrial Incubator and its director, Mike Lehere, with creating the proper environment to create new jobs in the city.

Mayor Plusquellic said, "Western Reserve Controls has seen steady growth since its beginnings in the Incubator complex when it was in the O'Neil's building. WRC has gone from a couple of employees to more than 35 and has gone from a relatively small operation to one that literally outgrew the Incubator. That's exactly what we want to see."

Mike Lehere said, "What began in 2,000 square feet in the original Incubator, grew to occupy 5,000 square feet when we moved to Canal Place. Now WRC is in a 15,000 square foot facility. I couldn't be happier with their progress."

Western Reserve's new facility is on Exeter Road off of Kelly Avenue in Southeast Akron. President Jim Barlow and Vice President for Technology Fred Billock started the company in 1990. By 1991, they acquired their current technology from Allen-Bradley Company. Production was gradually transferred from Taiwan to Akron with the introduction of expanded manufacturing processes. WRC President Jim Barlow said at the news conference, "Western Reserve has added new products every year and has grown from 40 outsourced products with 2 full-time employees, to more than 400 manufactured in Akron by a staff of 35. Without the help of the Industrial Incubator, we would not have the success we enjoy today."

In December of 1996 and again in 1997, WRC was honored as one of the fastest growing companies in Northeastern Ohio. Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management gives the Weatherhead 100 Outstanding Growth Companies award in association with the regional Enterprise Development Company. In addition, the Cascade Development Authority of Summit County recognized WRC as an Outstanding Company.

With the exception of one year, WRC has grown every year since its founding.

Western Reserve Controls is a manufacturer of data acquisition subsystems, signal conditioning components and products supplied to the industrial and commercial controls industries. Typical customers include machinery builders; control system engineering firms; heating, ventilation and air conditioning companies; manufacturing plants; motion, logic and process control manufacturers; amusement parks and others.