Pivot International started in 1972 as a contract manufacturer with a small engineering team. Now in business for over 50 years, we’ve grown to become a global product development, engineering, and manufacturing company. We’ve strategically increased our capabilities and global footprint to better serve our partners. We don’t just engineer to make something—we engineer to manufacture. Over the past several years, we have made strategic acquisitions to increase our skills, bringing in experts with a wide range of capabilities.

Pivot Capabilities Diagram

While still offering contract manufacturing, our teams now work with our partners at every stage of the product development process, from design to manufacturing. Our contract manufacturing services give our partners access to our global supply chain teams, design for manufacturing feedback, and manufacturing facilities throughout three continents.

Pivot has successfully developed products for a wide range of markets, including medical, industrial, sports and entertainment, agriculture, security and defense, and construction.

Growing Our Capabilities

  • 1985: Expanded into Asia by opening an engineering office in Taiwan

  • 1989: Established our first manufacturing facility in the Philippines

  • 2013: Opened supply chain and sales operations in Shenzhen

  • 2014: Established business development office in Europe

  • 2015: Opened second manufacturing facility in the Philippines

  • 2016:
    • Opened business development and sales operations in Hong Kong
    • Acquired MCC Electronics, a custom electronic design and manufacturing company in the Kansas City area
    • Acquired DigitTron Technologies, Inc., which develops electronic components in the KC metro
  • 2017:
    • Acquired Avatar Engineering, Inc., in Lenexa, Kansas
    • Acquired Electronic Design and Manufacturing, in the Omaha, Nebraska area
  • 2018: Acquired Wideblue in Glasgow, Scotland

  • 2019:
    • Acquired A2E Limited in Livingston, Scotland
    • Acquired Castle Creations, which develops motors for hobby and commercial markets, in the Kansas City area
  • 2020: Acquired Digital Concepts of Missouri Inc.

Pivot Today

Over the last 50 years, we have grown our footprint in skills and assets and currently have 13 locations worldwide. Pivot has also grown to over 800 employees throughout the world, more than 100 of which are part of our multi-disciplined engineering teams. Additionally, we have over 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space across North America, Europe, and Asia, equipped with the technology and skillset needed to make a product idea a reality.

Our Teams

Our multi-disciplined engineering teams are prepared to work with you to design a product from an idea or work with an existing specification. Our teams include electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and software engineers with experience developing products together and designing for manufacturing. Our prototyping services will aid in testing the design and capability of the product and redesigning it until it’s ready for production at one of our global facilities.

Our mechanical engineers have experience designing products for a wide range of markets. All products are developed with manufacturing, durability, and regulatory compliance in mind. Whether designing a product from initial concept or working with an existing design, our team is well versed in making your product a commercial success.

As a full-service product design and development company, we are experts in industrial design. Our team’s vast experience designing for industrial applications means they understand how to work with partners to achieve the optimum look and functionality of a product.

Each project we work on is assigned a project manager. Our managers work closely with our partners to ensure they are informed and satisfied every step of the way. Our project managers establish goals, track progress, and use resources effectively and within budget.

Working with Pivot means working with award-winning electronics designers. We have received multiple European Product Design Awards, a German Design Award, and were recognized as a Gold Winner by the Medical Design Excellence Awards.

We Design for Manufacturing

At Pivot, we integrate design for manufacturing (DFM) practices at all stages of the product development process. Our engineering teams design all products in alignment with DFM principles. DFM allows for a more optimized, cost-effective design that is easily scalable and can be sold across global markets.

Pivot International has 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 17 fully automated SMT lines. We also have an advanced change order system, which allows for rapid product updates without inventory gaps.

Our partners have the power to choose where their product is manufactured. Products manufactured in the US cost more in workers’ wages but save on shipping and import taxes associated with internationally manufactured products.

Regulatory Compliance

Our facilities are FDA-registered, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016-certified, and conform to IPC standards. We have quality management systems at site level that control the selection, evaluation, and monitoring of suppliers. We also align with global quality standards and can integrate with our partners’ quality management systems as needed.

In addition to certifying our systems, we are also experienced in getting products approved by regulatory agencies. Our manufacturing facilities produce UL-listed, CSA-approved, and TÜV SÜD America-certified devices.

A Global Network of Product Development

Pivot International’s global teams offer a one-stop shop for product development. Our partners can pull from our worldwide resources—mechanical engineers in Kansas can work with optical designers in Scotland, who work with electronic engineers in Taiwan.

Supply Chain Team

Our global supply chain team works with project managers to order parts, which are shipped to one of our manufacturing facilities in the US, Philippines, China, or Mexico. Our team is experienced in working across multiple markets and is dedicated to acquiring reliable, cost-effective parts. Our supply chain teams are also experts at navigating import and export processes to efficiently deliver the parts for your product. We use an early warning alert system to identify potential disruptions before they affect manufacturing.

Pivot International’s Family of Companies:

Pivot International

Our global headquarters, located in Lenexa, Kansas, has engineering, design, and product management resources. Pivot International also provides the foundation for business development, global supply chain, and quality management. Pivot is also located near  Avatar Engineering, DigitTron Technologies, MCC Electronics, and Castle Creations manufacturing facilities.

Pivot UK

Pivot UK is our European headquarters for supply chain and business development. It supports our two UK-based companies, Wideblue and A2E.

Pivot Taiwan

Pivot Taiwan is our Asian headquarters for engineering and design. This office is also a supply chain and quality management hub, supporting our operations in Asia and our global organization.

Pivot Shenzhen

Pivot Shenzhen is our Asian headquarters for quality management and supply chain in the global market. They are also experts in sales operation functionality.

Pivot Hong Kong

Pivot Hong Kong manages business development and sales operations. It acts as a hub for communications across our Asian markets.

Pivot-Hawks Manila

Our 78,500 square foot manufacturing space in Manila, Philippines, has over 250 employees. Specializing in medium- and large-volume PCB manufacturing and box builds, Pivot-Hawks has two fully automated SMT lines that are mirrored with one of our US-based facilities, EDM. Capabilities include ultrasonic welding, full functional testing, and full product traceability. The facility has Class 7 and Class 8 cleanrooms, and DFM is integrated into all manufacturing processes. This FDA-registered facility offers an integrated and secure gated design process.

Avatar Engineering

Avatar Engineering is located in Shawnee, Kansas, which is a short 20 minute drive from our global headquarters. This short- to large-volume PCB manufacturing facility offers fully automated SMT and through-hole electronic assembly, box builds, full functional testing, automated potting capabilities, and automated conformal coating. Avatar applies DFM practices, fabrication and test techniques, and conforms to industry standards. It also offers IPC-certified design engineers, assembly technicians, and a full test and rework department.

Castle Creations

Established in 1997 and acquired by Pivot International in 2019, Castle Creations specializes in low-weight, high-power, brushless DC motor and controller solutions. Castle Creations is a leader in brushed and brushless motor design, with experience in direct belt and geared drive trains. Castle has delivered over 1 million brushless DC motors for consumer and industrial applications. Its motors are designed for thermal performance, ensuring consistent output throughout operation and long motor life. Its medium- to large-run PCB manufacturing and product assembly facility has two fully automated SMT lines, automated optical inspection, automated potting, test and rework, conformal coating (dip or spray), overmolding, heavy gage wire soldering, and dynamometer testing.

Digital Concepts (DCI)

DCI is our experts in operator interface systems. Established in 1990 in St. Louis, DCI works closely with customers to develop custom interfaces for their products. DCI has experience with a wide variety of user interface formats, including large- and small-format LCDs, custom keypads and displays, touchscreens, custom device lighting and indicators, audio indicators and alerts, and integrated global TV tuners.

  • DCI China

    DCI has a manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China. The 60,000-square-foot facility offers three fully automated SMT lines, PCBA and console assembly, BGA technology, conformal coating, finished goods assembly, prototype builds, cross-trained operators quality system-document control, and fine pitch, axial, and manual part placement.

  • DCI Mexico

    DCI’s Mexico facility in Juarez handles medium- to large-volume PCB manufacturing. The facility’s three fully automated SMT lines mirror DCI’s China facility. The facility offers customized small builds, BGA technology, finished goods assembly, conformal coating, prototype builds, quality systems, cross-trained operators, and fine pitch, axial, and manual part placement.

DigitTron Technologies

DigitTron is our US-based small- to large-run design and manufacturing facility. Specializing in surface-mount electric manufacturing, DigitTron offers fully automated SMT and through-hole electronic assembly. This Kansas City area facility manufactures up to 12-layer PCBAs and offers automated potting, conformal coating, and full functional testing. DigitTron’s X-ray machine is a testament to their commitment to quality control.

Electronic Design and Manufacturing (EDM)

EDM offers 51,000 square feet of manufacturing space in the Midwest. It features three mirrored SMT lines with Pivot-Hawks. If a natural disaster happens at either facility, design files can be seamlessly transferred to the other location to avoid additional delays. EDM has full functional testing and rework, automated potting and conformal coating, wave and selective solder, laser marking, over-molding capabilities, and a Class 8 cleanroom. The FDA-registered facility also has IPC-certified design engineers and assembly technicians, automatic optical inspection, and BGA removal, replacement, and reballing.

MCC Electronics

MCC Electronics (MCCE) is our design and manufacturing facility specializing in electric hydraulics for industrial markets. MCCE offers prototype to medium-volume product assembly and industrial controls manufacturing. The facility manufactures IP67-approved devices and integrates DFM practices throughout all manufacturing processes. MCCE also has potting and conformal coating, through-hole PCBA and assembly, full functional testing, and box build capabilities.

Pivot A2E

Pivot A2E is our experts in sensor technology for the oil and gas and underwater industries. A2E develops products for harsh, potentially explosive environments and has over 20 years of experience in sensor development and electronics design solutions. They also have experience developing ATEX and IECEx certified products, and are well-versed in subsea applications. A2E has also developed products for the renewable energy market and has contributed to a wide variety of medical device developments.

Wideblue

Wideblue was established in 2001 as a division of Polaroid’s European Design Center and became an independent company in 2006. Wideblue are experts in optical design, specializing in photonics, imaging, and optical systems for consumer, industrial, and medical markets. Illumination and imaging systems are tested in Wideblue’s optical lab. They design and develop for a wide range of optical emission and detection systems. They also have expertise in quantum theory and technology, developing several products in the space sector.

Full-Service Product Design and Development

Pivot International is an experienced design and manufacturing company that works with our partners to develop designs for their products, update or revise existing designs, and provide manufacturing services at our global facilities. Our multi-disciplined engineering teams and global supply chain network are experts in design for manufacturing and sourcing. With Pivot, you get comprehensive end-to-end visibility, so you know what is happening at every step of the process. Our quality management systems and alignment with manufacturing certifications and standards ensure that we deliver a market-ready product. No matter the market, our team is here to help. Contact us today to learn how Pivot International’s family of companies can work for you.