Miltec Circuits

Address: 12921 Leo Road, Leo-Cedarville

At a glance: Miltec Circuits manufactures printed circuit boards for electronic devices. The company also produces magnetic resonance imaging coils. During an MRI exam, the coils are placed next to the body part being imaged and emit the radio frequency that makes the scan possible.

Employees: Nine

Annual revenue: About $1.2 million

How old is the company: 21 years old. The company moved to Leo from Milwaukee in 1993.

Biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months: Miltec Circuits finished expanding its building in February. The $70,000 addition increased the company’s space by a third, said David Kechel, general manager. The company originally had about 6,000 square feet of space.

“We’ve basically made it so everything can be done in house and not be jobbed out to different places,” he said.

That allows Miltec Circuits to fill orders quickly. The company can manufacture products within a day, Kechel said.

What are the key challenges facing your business or industry: “The industry is being challenged mostly from overseas work,” Kechel said.

Chinese companies can undercut domestic circuit board prices, Kechel said. Miltec Circuits competes by staying small and expanding its services. The short turnaround time also helps the company compete, he said.

What are your growth projections for the next five years: Miltec Circuits plans on automating a plate line and a few other aspects of the business. That would allow the company to add capabilities, expand sales and keep its staff the same size, Kechel said.

What’s one thing about your business that people might not be aware of: Many people don’t know a local company has the capability to make printed circuit boards, Kechel said.

“A lot of people think when they’re looking for prototyping of circuit boards that they have to send it off to Colorado or somewhere else,” he said.

Miltec Circuits hasn’t promoted its services extensively online. Most of its business comes from word of mouth, Kechel said.