Guardian Manufacturing provides better solutions to common problems
by Kathy Hagood
Brevard Technical Journal
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The company also offers continuing support and maintenance for its many integration and control products.
About 80 percent of Guardian's customers are Fortune 500 companies in the entertainment, automotive, space, pharmaceutical, agricultural and building products industries.
Guardian's products are used in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Thailand, China and Turkey.
"We go from the idea stage to a full turn-key system," said Jason Martin, vice president of the company.
But the company generally limits its manufacturing to no more than 200 to 300 units of any product.
"We're not set up to be a mass-production facility," Martin said. "When you get into mass production that's generally done overseas."
The privately held company employs about 56 workers at its 10,000-square-foot headquarters and generates revenues of $10 million annually, Martin said.
The company's facility, which is located in an industrial park, includes administrative, engineering, manufacture and storage areas.
"We keep a certain amount of inventory on hand so we can quickly meet customer's needs," Martin said.
Because the company gets a constant stream of orders from long-time customers it doesn't tend to advertise or market its products. Customer loyalty and word of mouth has helped build the business.
"We're fortunate to get numerous referrals," Martin said.
When the company was founded in 1993 by Chuck Smith and his partner Joe Sheram Jr., its first product was an in-car ignition interlock mechanism for alcohol monitoring, the Guardian Interlock Device. Smith, president of Guardian Manufacturing, upgraded and refined the Guardian Interlock product Sheram purchased in 1991.
The original product was introduced in the State of California in 1985.
The interlock mechanism, which keeps a car from being started by an intoxicated person, is leased by DUI offenders as part of their probation requirements. After the probation ends, the device is returned to Guardian Manufacturing for refurbishment and reuse.
Sheram's Atlanta-based Guardian Interlock Systems distributes the devices through its company-owned and franchised service outlets, which install, calibrate, maintain and service the product.
"Because the product can be recycled, it keeps the costs down," Martin said.
He estimates that about 50,000 Guardian Interlock units are in use in states across the country. Ironically, the State of Florida doesn't contract with Guardian Interlock Systems for its DUI ignition interlock program.
"The device has been an extremely successful product for us," Martin said. "We'd love to work with the state of Florida, but they went with another company."
After its inception Guardian soon began to introduce many additional products.
Smith, who had served as lead engineer with McDonnell Aircraft in charge of Observables Engineering for the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter, developed a hand-held surface resistance meter to determine the thicknesses on Stealth aircraft. The SRM-232 meter and four-point probe is used for measuring the conductivity of a variety of applied coatings.
"The meters are still being used by the military and have numerous other applications," Martin said.
The company's other top products today include real-time vision solutions, custom vacuum systems, lighting panels, rotating racks and ozone systems.
"We design our products for ease of use and reliability," Martin said. "We may not be the least expensive manufacturer, but we have a good reputation for providing a quality product and that's what our customers care about. Guardian's real-time vision solutions include:
- high-speed image processing and high-resolution digital cameras with "multiple interface and communication options,"
- custom vacuum systems offer a variety of pumping and instru-mentation options and "intuitive operator interfaces,"
- lighting panels are built with off the self-components for easy part replacement,
- ozone systems include ozone generator and sensors and custom ozone delivery systems.
The idea for the product was introduced by Martin.
"I got the idea after we faced all those hurricanes this year and asked Charlie what he thought about it," Martin said. "I felt there had to be a better way to handle the power from portable generators."
The system is currently being tested and likely will be on the market before the next hurricane season begins in June.
"We're always looking for better solutions to common problems," Martin said.
Guardian is ISO-9001:2000 compliant and is listed by Underwriter's Laboratory to build numerous Industrial Listed Products and custom electrical panels to UL-508.
For more information on Guardian Manufacturing, visit www.guardianmfg.com
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