Custom Products Drive Ameritherm’s Growth
Channels
By Staci Davidson   
Tuesday, 14 November 2006
smc Ameritherm
Ameritherm Inc. succeeds through its specialization in precision induction heating solutions.
Ameritherm Inc. considers itself a specialist in precision induction heating solutions. As the leading manufacturer of microprocessor-based RF induction heating equipment, the company is confident of its capabilities, which range from electrical engineering to master coppersmithing. However, Ameritherm understands its technology may not be suited for all applications.

The company’s process involves first listening to customers’ unique needs and concerns. Then it invites clients to send samples of their parts to Ameritherm’s applications lab for a no-charge evaluation and system recommendation. This system for working with customers is part of the “Ameritherm difference,” explains Bruce Stewart, vice president of business development, and has enabled the firm to be successful for the 20 years since its inception.

“We know that we have to be market-driven, but it is even more important to know what will create value for our customers,” he says.

“We would be spinning our wheels if we create something that no one wants. As a result, we have a rigorous process to review new products and accessories.”

This dedication to customers’ needs has led to much industry recognition. In November, Ameritherm was ranked No. 16 on the list of the Rochester, N.Y., Top 100 and first among Rochester-area manufacturers. Based in Scottsville, N.Y., Ameritherm offers RF power supplies of 30-watt to 250-kilowatt deliverable output power with 5 kilohertz to 60 megahertz operating frequency range.

Recently, Manufacturing Today spoke with Bruce Stewart about the company’s capabilities and how it is using its strengths to expand its market presence.
Manufacturing Today: Ameritherm says it is focused on exceeding customers’ expectations. How does it achieve this?
Bruce Stewart: That is something that is very important to us. We are using a new survey to determine customer satisfaction, and there are two metrics we focus on whenever we talk to customers. The first is response time and overall responsiveness. We strive to be quick and accurate. This helps us to exceed their expectations – we try to be quick and accurate throughout the entire process, from sales onward.

We also want to be sure our customers are getting the value they expected from our equipment. Return on investment is very important. Our goal is to deliver more than they expect. We don’t want to undersell our products, but we have created a culture dedicated to exceeding our customers’ expectations in terms of responsiveness, quality and value.

MT: What are some customer trends?
BS: There is a general trend that customers are looking for more places to use low-power induction because this is more user-friendly and is low-cost. As a result, we have made huge investments in R&D and we are looking for new ways to take costs out, even though prices in the market are going down. To ensure the products are more customer-friendly, we are developing them to be more intuitive and interactive.

Ameritherm is more of a worldwide company than many of our competitors. Because we are truly skilled in our core competency, we became a global player. Although we are global, we have many local offices, so we can provide local service and support.

MT: How are you improving operations?
BS: We are registered to the ISO 9001 standard, but we don’t just pay lip service to the standards. We put a lot of effort into quality management. For example, we implemented an online system to monitor defective materials and quality management. We also have our subsidiaries adopt our rigorous standards. This is in addition to the extensive engineering and detailed testing performed when developing new products.

MT: What are the firm’s growth plans?
BS: We have big plans and we are trying to look at the big picture because there is not a lot of growth for us domestically in our existing markets. As a result, we can’t stand still. However, we plan to grow 15 to 20 percent a year, which we have done for the past several years. So, for 2007, we plan to expand our distribution channels, which will be very important for our growth. We’ve been developing a number of markets in the last few years, including Italy, South Africa, India, Japan, Moscow and Poland. We’ve also opened the possibility to develop products, such as small induction units. We may even develop consumer products that have the core technology of a low-power induction power supply. We are devoting significant resources toward the productizing of induction equipment.
 
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