Spartronics in Logan got its start in a converted old gas station 25 years ago in Hyrum, Utah, when Utah State Universityalumnus Blake Kirby founded Inovar, which Spartronics later acquired. Now the company has nine facilities across the U.S and in Mexico and Vietnam.
The electronics manufacturing facility in North Logan, located at USU’s Innovation Campus employs about 270 people and has room to grow. Site manager Ryan Leishman led the tour of the large facility, similar to the size of a two-story grocery store.
“Static electricity is the worst, probably one of the worst things that can happen to us out here. So, we have to be very careful, you'll see a lot of our operators will all wear a blue smock,” said Ryan Leishman.
They do contract services mainly for the highly regulated aerospace, defense, and medical industries. For example, equipment like the machines that spin blood at clinics, super high-tech parts for missiles, and power boards underneath airplane seats that power the tv’s, phones, and computers. They even have equipment on NASA’s Artemisspacecraft.
“Everything we make here is the only place that's being made. That's our business model. And as a result, we have relationships with these customers that are actually household names that go back decades,” said Paul Fraipont, President and CEO of Spartronics.
“We're basically an outsourced factory, that is a specialist in making high reliability, high mix, low volume, super complex brains of other people's OEM type equipment,” said Fraipont.
He said one of their main challenges right now is a backlog in orders due to supply chain issues. It can take up to 73 weeks to get parts.
“Today's Spartronics is a $500 million company, which would be larger if we could get electronic components,” said Fraipont.
With the growth of the aerospace industry, they are well located next to USU’s Space Dynamics Lab. Greg Bradfield, Vice President, Aerospace and Defense markets, said they are particularly proud of two local efforts, their support of the domestic violence non-profit CAPSA, and their internship program in partnership with the university.
"And many of those result in a full-time job offer here, we love that," said Greg Bradfield.
He added they are excited to expand their relationship with USU and to get more involved in the state and local communities.
