veteran; he brings over 13 years of engineering experience in the automotive industry in Korea. JJ and the Director of 416 Automation Korea, Jinseop Lim both graduated from Korea Polytechnic University with degrees in Mechatron- ics Engineering. Jinseop is also a talented mechanical designer and he’s been friends with JJ since University. JJ and JS make a great team and they’re leading the growth in South Korea.” “South Korea was a great opportunity because of the density of potential customers in a small geographical area. You can reach all the customers within three and a half hours of driving. Hyundai and Kia are automotive giants and it became very clear that you need to have a presence in Korea to win their business. Fortunately, we were able to impress the customers with our product line and we’ve been growing very quickly since we opened an office in Korea. Before we opened an office, there was a lack of competition in automotive test equipment business and many clients were looking for an alternate vendor. So, when we started, customers were very happy to have an alternate option. As usual, we provided a solution that was different in a good way. One funny story is that when we first installed our machine, the customer didn’t initially like our HMI [human-machine interface] design because it was so different from local vendors. But I’m told now that the same customer is telling the local vendors to make their HMI design like ours.” The growth at home in Ontario is steady too and Sam explained that the size of their current custom solution team is the perfect indicator. “When I joined the team in 2012, we had four people. By the end of 2017, we’re hoping to reach 24 people. Ninety percent of our employees have some sort of technical background in an engineering field. We have a young diverse group of people which reflects the diversity of Greater Toronto Area. And 416 Automation is a great place to start your career because it gives a person exposure to a variety of projects and work environments. From a purely technical aspect, I love my job because I’m always learning and doing something new.” “For the size of our company,” he continued, “we have an extensive engineering expertise that enables us to design our own electronics instead of buying off-the- shelf solu- tions. Traditional automation companies are referred to as ‘integrators,’ meaning they simply buy components and put them together to create an automation solution. We go a step further and create our own components, which gives us flexibility and total control over the design – which helps us to provide the most cost-effective solution to the customer.” Sam explained how he and his colleagues created their own device to measure particular electrical circuits. “Tra- ditionally, you would need to purchase an expensive instru- ment that has many features that you don’t need – and the customer you’re working for would pay. So we created a device that meets the functional requirement without unnecessary features that add to the cost.”
GDA Machining Inc. Dusan Djermanovic, President
500 Edward Ave. Richmond Hill, ON L4C 4Y9 Tel: 416-668-5119 Email: gda@teksavvy.com GDA Machining Inc. 32 McLeod Dr. Aurora, ON L4G 5E8
as a Mechanical Technician where he specialized in tool and die making, or making tools used in manufacturing and assembly processes like jigs, fixtures, dies, molds, machine tools, cutting tools, and gauges. He then went on to Humber College to earn his degree in Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Automation and Robotics. “We’re also lucky to have Victor Hilario, our Engineering Manager. Victor is a seasoned electrical engineer with almost 25 years’ experience, mostly in the automation industry servicing in various capacities tier-one and tier-two automotive clients. Victor joined 416 Automation recently to reunite with his former colleagues and help lead a strong multi-disciplinary technical team,” Sam said. “He went to the University of Toronto where he got his degree in Elec- trical Engineering with a focus in control system design.” “He’s the heart of the company. He really is the driving force for our growth.” “There’s also another branch to our company: 416 Automa- tion Korea. JJ is responsible for 416 Automation Korea. Jeon Jin is the president of that side of the operation and he’s a
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JULY 2017
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