Going concern

Spencer Grabe, CA
President
DICA Electronics Ltd.

Company profile: DICA Electronics, which Spencer Grabe’s father started in the family’s basement in 1983, manufactures printed circuit boards — thin plates on which chips and electronic components are mounted. Grabe took over as president of the Ottawa-area company in 2006, and maintains its neighbourly feel by dealing almost exclusively with customers in the national capital region. While only a handful of its 30 or so customers account for 70% of its overall revenue, its diverse set of products include ID tags for newborns in hospitals, smart hydro metres, high-calibre scientific digital cameras, high-definition teleconferencing equipment — even equipment aboard the space shuttle.

Hot factor: Named by Ottawa Business Journal as one of the fastest growing companies in the region, it has quadrupled its revenues in the past five years, growing more than 100% from 2005 to 2007 alone. Today, it ships close to 300,000 circuit boards a year, compared with less than 90,000 five years ago.

Cool projects: With the plant already operating close to maximum capacity — three shifts a day, five days a week, shipping 1,200 units a day — it’s set to open a 6,000-sq.- ft. expansion this month that will double its current manufacturing capacity. It’s also eyeing potential acquisitions in the next three to five years.

In his own words: “I hate to sound like I’m gloating, but we seem to prove that not all manufacturing is being lost to China. Our strength is being able to react quickly to customer needs and deliver at a low cost. We have a pretty simple business plan: we give customers what they need at an affordable price. If you offer value, customers don’t need to look outside the border.”

John Shoesmith