NILES, Illinois, July, 18 – Alan Lux, owner of ameriCAD, Incorporated in Niles, Illinois is celebrating 10 years in a business that was conceived as an alternative to the typical “run of the mill” printed circuit board service bureau.  ameriCAD  was started as a sole proprietorship on July 18, 1991 with $10,000, talent, hope and a solid customer base. Several of ameriCAD’s first customers came from the contacts that had been made throughout the 25 years that Alan had been involved in the electronics industry.

The growing business was incorporated in 1994 with Alan and his wife Barbara as officers of the company. Alan says, “I was almost convinced that this type of business could not be successfully run with just myself as the only employee.  It hasn’t been easy but the rewards have certainly been worth it.” Many late nights and lost weekends went into getting designs just right. Once, after spending 21 hours during a weekend to complete a design for a customer by Monday morning, they turned around and completely changed the entire concept of the product requiring it to be totally redone.

For the most part, business has grown steadily over the past 10 years. Considering the fact that most businesses don’t make it past their first year, and several get beyond the 5-year mark, Alan considers it a major milestone to have accomplished this feat.

Alan attributes this growth to a solid work ethic and his ability to deal with people. “I take the time to understand the customers’ needs, and then I take the time to get the work done right. Listening and asking questions – old-fashioned people skills – are as important as using up-to-date tools to get the job done efficiently and economically.” 

After more than 35 years in the electronics field, Alan has seen many business's come and go. Other larger conglomerates have acquired some and a few have just simply closed their doors. “The past 10 years have gone by extremely fast," Alan says. “The changing nature of technology keeps everyone busy. That kind of challenge engages me.”
 

  45 Different Companies Served
  239 New PCB Designs Produced 
  273 PCB Designs Modified
  65 On-site Engineering Assignments
  19 Software Training Classes Taught