Keying on consumers' desire for new products quickly, Radius Product Development Inc. keeps expanding its services.
Radius, a company partly owned by Nypro Inc., unveiled its new Clinton home Sept. 19. The 11,000-square-foot facility is more than double the size of its previous, 4,500-square-foot home across the street.
``It was simply a case of a need for more space. We wanted more room for testing and research,'' said President Steve Callahan.
The company now has 26 employees in Clinton and about 75 worldwide. In the past four years, it has added design centers in Chicago, Beijing, Hong Kong and Copenhagen, Denmark.
The firm also is looking at California and Germany for possible sites.
The company got its start in 1992, when two Nypro employees left to form Radius. Callahan said Radius began with industrial design and engineering, but has progressed to model making, testing and verification.
The company is across the street from Nypro's headquarters, and Callahan said the relationship between the firms generates 50-60 percent of Radius' business.
``When you integrate with a global manufacturer [like Nypro], you can provide a unique value,'' Callahan said.
Radius has averaged more than 20 percent growth a year, Callahan said, but he did not disclose sales figures.
``The key thing is trying to provide a fresh, innovative new product for people who want to buy it, but at the same time make it very efficient and simple to manufacture,'' Callahan said.
A typical Radius team includes researchers, industrial designers, mechanical engineers and quality and implementation specialists.
He said Radius does work for global Fortune 500 companies like Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and Motorola. Callahan said the medical, electrical and consumer markets provide most of its work, but it also is looking at some automotive jobs.
Brian Jones, Nypro president and chief executive officer, said Radius' growth was necessitated by original equipment manufacturers looking for ideas and the ability to deliver new products quickly around the world.
``With Radius expanding, we are able to go to an OEM and do a project that used to take 18-24 months and ramp up to speed in four to six months. We even did one in three months,'' Jones said.
