Automotive Parts Manufacturer Finds Long-Term Manufacturing Partner
InterMotive Vehicle Controls is an automotive parts manufacturer that makes sophisticated vehicle control technology for public safety and transportation vehicles. When the company was looking to outsource production of components of its products, the company struck gold with an inclusive workforce provided by PRIDE Industries.
The Challenge: Consistent, Public Safety-Level Manufacturing
After working for years for Ford Motor Company, Greg Schafer, along with his spouse Linda, launched InterMotive Vehicle Controls in Auburn, California. As the company grew, they were searching for an automotive parts manufacturer partner to assemble some of the company’s PCBAs and cable assemblies. Finding a company that could provide the quality InterMotive needed for products that must withstand the rigors of public safety and public transportation use, and that could scale with the company’s growth, proved challenging.
The Solution: A Reliable, Skilled Automotive Parts Manufacturer
In 2003 InterMotive discovered PRIDE Industries, a contract electronics manufacturer with a mission to create employment for people with disabilities. “The company’s capabilities blew me away,” Greg Schafer said. “The people, the processes, and the technology are state of the art. But what sets PRIDE Industries apart are the people—I’d never seen a manufacturing floor where employees were so happy to be there.”
The Result: A Long-Term Partnership
Fast forward 20 years, and PRIDE Industries now manufactures 46 parts for InterMotive—24 cable assemblies and 18 mid to high-volume PCBAs. Services provided include functional testing of PCBAs, using custom text fixtures designed and built by PRIDE Industries engineers. Testing time has been reduced from about six minutes to 2.5 minutes, and returned boards have all but disappeared.
“We have directly hired people with disabilities and outsourced to PRIDE Industries for going on two decades now,” Linda Schafer said.
“I have employees with disabilities who started after high school and are now married and buying homes,” Greg Schafer said. “They love their jobs, show up on time every day, and are proud of their work. They really enhance our workforce.”
Vehicles for People with Disabilities
Coincidentally, one of InterMotive’s flagship products is a wheelchair interlock—a mechanism that immobilizes wheelchair-accessible vehicles when the wheelchair ramp deploys. “Some of our employees come to work in vehicles with our products on board,” Linda Schafer said, “products they may have helped build.” InterMotive is the largest manufacturer of wheelchair interlocks in North America.
Services Provided
- PCBA and cable assembly
- Functional testing
- Custom test fixtures
Highlights
“The company's capabilities blew me away. The people, the processes, and the technology are state of the art. But what sets the PRIDE Industries apart are the people—I'd never seen a manufacturing floor where employees were so happy to be there.”
PCBAs
reduced from 6 minutes to 2.5 minutes
accuracy
