engatech

TULSA – Events have moved quickly for EngATech Inc. founder Clay Slaton.  About 16 months ago, Slaton added the Objet Alaris30 3-D printing system to his line of products and services. “We wanted to move our client’s inventions to market faster and cheaper,” Slaton said. The Objet 3-D printing technology allows users to create ideas in a 3-D computer-aided design system, like SolidWorks, and then just print it out.

But instead of it printing on paper in two dimensions, the machine can print a 3-D object made of plastic, for example, something like a cell-phone dial pad.

Beginning in 1999, Slaton opened his doors as a product design consulting firm and began working day and night to get his dream business up and running. SolidWorks Corp. gave him a call in 2001 to persuade him to become a SolidWorks provider in the Oklahoma and Arkansas region. His Tulsa company grew from one to three employees. EngATech currently employs seven people.

“It just kind of formed,” Slaton said of the growth. “It was quicker than I thought would happen.”

Over the past decade, Slaton has envisioned opportunities for other designers and engineers, serving as mentor and becoming involved in the community through entrepreneur startup organizations. He puts all of these things into practice as part of his personal philosophy.

“I believe in mentoring the younger generation to help their success and build their entrepreneur spirit,” Slaton said.

Slaton has been recognized for his ideas and received an Innovator Award from The Journal Record this year. Slaton earned the award for implementing customizable computer-aided design training classes.

“We can go into any company – large or small – and take it to the next level,” Slaton said. “We are here to help others get their product to market faster and can always take product development to the next level by bringing in computer-aided design.”

Innovation drives the economy and is the ability to think in new and creative ways, Slaton said.  “It is finding more efficient and productive ways to do the job,” he said.

Starting out as a one-man business in the basement of one-bedroom apartment, Slaton has developed EngATech into an established company that serves the engineering and manufacturing community, working with companies like Terex and McElroy Manufacturing.

EngATech has averaged 31-percent revenue growth over the past eight years. In 2006 the company reached a benchmark goal of $1 million in revenues, Slaton said.

“We try to maintain slow and steady growth,” Slaton said.

“You look at what other companies accomplish and it appears that they have punched a lottery ticket,” Slaton said. “But once you are in the middle of it, you realize there is no lottery ticket. You must create opportunities through due diligence and doing the right thing day by day.”

EngATech has excelled by pushing forward and as opportunities come, being open, Slaton said. “You can be working so hard that you have your head down and fail to see opportunities when they do come,” Slaton said.

“There must be a mix of due diligence and hard work. Keeping mind and eyes open. You have to keep your head down and perform, but you have to look up every now and then to be aware of opportunities, have an open mind and be ready to capture them,” Slaton said.