Our History
More than 30 years ago, our founder embarked on a mission to address a production issue at a turkey hatchery in rural Minnesota. Instead of settling for quick fixes, he dug deeper—asking questions, researching operations, observing the birds, and engaging with the workers. His thorough approach led to redefining the problem, resulting in a groundbreaking solution that not only significantly enhanced production but also addressed the critical issue of animal health and well-being.
What began as one person’s passion to leverage emerging technology to benefit agriculture is now a global reality. Through continuous growth, we now hold several US patents and employ nearly 300 professionals, including global team members based in 12 different countries. Our equipment can be found in over 600 locations in more than 65 countries and 6 continents around the world.
Our Campus
In 2005, Nova-Tech Engineering partnered with Life-Science Innovations to acquire a 37-building, 110-acre historic hospital facility in Willmar from the State of Minnesota. This acquisition led to the development of the MinnWest Technology Campus, one of the largest privately owned technology parks in the country. The MinnWest Technology Campus offers bioscience, agribusiness, technology, and bioenergy companies a wealth of resources, amenities, and a collaborative business environment. Located in the heart of Minnesota lakes country, the campus is a vibrant business community. More details can be found at MinnWest Technology Campus.
Nova-Tech Engineering hosts all facets of our operations on the MinnWest Technology Campus, including our manufacturing facility situated just steps away from our engineering and drafting teams. Strolling between buildings, you can witness our entire process, from concept to final product.
Our Future
Today, our founder’s innovative mindset is the cornerstone of Nova-Tech Engineering. We promise our customers a fresh perspective on critical challenges they face today. Our culture fosters teams that challenge conventional solutions by redefining problems to explore new possibilities.
That new approach has driven our manufacturing capabilities while defining our product offerings, our customer relationships and our company culture – enabling us to continually adapt and meet market demands.
Our Teams
The Assembly team includes Assembly Technicians, QC Test Technicians, Final Assembly, and Test Technicians. Committed to continuous improvement, all assemblies are created with detailed work instructions and are tested to ensure electrical and mechanical functionality before delivery.
- Subsystem and full turn-key equipment assembly
- Electronics & cable harness assembly, and firmware installation
- Polymer casting and electronics potting
- Precision mechanical assembly – miniature & large components
- Quality Assurance and Reliability testing
Nova-Tech Engineering was founded on entrepreneurial principles and our Engineering Department continues to live by those principles today. The department is dedicated to the execution of critical projects and support functions that make our products perform.
Engineering teams, supported by skilled professionals from the fields of Mechanical, Electrical, and Chemical Engineering, along with Electro-Mechanical Designers and Technicians, are tasked with supporting existing products, developing new products, and researching technologies that support our future products. The fast-paced and challenging environment requires a flat organization and open communication across all functions.
Production Support includes Manufacturing Engineering, ERP support, Procurement, and Technical Writing. We improve efficiency, cut out waste, and streamline all manufacturing processes and systems. Collaboration with the manufacturing teams and development engineering is key to our success.
- Design for Manufacturability (DFM) consultation
- Supplier identification, capability analysis and management
- Sales order and forecast management
- Purchasing of parts, services and raw materials
- Production scheduling
- Technical writing for procedures and business processes
- Custom tooling and fixture design
- Continuous improvement management for manufacturing systems and processes
The Fabrication Team at Nova-Tech Engineering is essential to the company’s production process. This team consists of highly skilled professionals who specialize in creating custom parts and components. They utilize advanced machinery and techniques to ensure precision and quality in every project. The team collaborates closely with other departments to meet project specifications and deadlines, contributing to the overall efficiency and innovation of Nova-Tech’s solutions. Their expertise in various fabrication methods allows them to tackle complex challenges and deliver reliable, high-quality products that support the company’s mission of advancing agricultural technology.
The Inventory team provides accurate counts and locations for all materials in manufacturing and leased equipment worldwide. Nearly all Nova-Tech parts flow through the Inventory Team. We fill parts requests for Engineering, accelerating product development.
- Materials management and stocking
- Kitting for Assembly
- Inventory tracking for equipment
- Shipping parts for material coatings and secondary operations
Our Machining Department collaborates closely with internal teams and external customers to transform their visions into reality, delivering precision-engineered prototype parts, fixtures, and production components. We prioritize rapid turnaround times for prototypes, recognizing the critical importance of swiftly converting ideas into tangible outcomes. Acknowledging that intricate designs can impede production, we offer expert consultation services to optimize and refine the manufacturing process. This collaborative journey takes place in a vibrant and supportive environment that fosters innovation and drives success.
- Prototype and Production Quantities
- Design for Manufacturability Consultation
- Precision 5-axis Milling, Turning, and Swiss Type Machines
- In Process Quality Control Measurements
The Refurbishing team includes a Receiving Group, focused on disassembly, decontamination, and restoration of components, and a Repair Group, focused on troubleshooting and re-manufacturing. Cost savings through refurbishing range from 50-90% of new. We maintain a supply of parts and modules that allow us to ship to our customers at a moment’s notice. We offer reliability analysis data that can drive design improvements leading to longer life and even lower life cycle costs.
- Skilled disassembly and preservation of precision assemblies
- QC that removes worn components from the recycle stream
- Cleaning, decontamination, and sanitizing at the component level
- Troubleshooting and repair of circuit boards and precision assemblies
- Quality Assurance and Reliability testing
- Life Cycle Cost savings analysis
