If you ask Tim Seifert the key to success, he answers without hesitation: diversification.
Seifert Cos. was founded in 1985 by Jim and Tim Seifert, who together saw a need for engineering services in the Greater Canton region. Today, the group’s vision is broader and includes design and programming services and a marketplace without boundaries.
Seifert Cos. is made up of three separate corporations — Seifert Technologies, Seifert Engineering and Seifert Associates. Combined, the three entities employ more than 100 people and have offices in Massillon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Florida and Tennessee.
“We were originally founded as an engineering firm,” says Tim Seifert, president and CEO. “Over the years, we added staffing, IT consulting and design/build services.”
Seifert’s Software Development Group was founded in 1996. Since then, it has become a full-service IT service provider offering network design and administration, hardware and software procurement, application development, and Web hosting and development. The group has also developed and launched three proprietary software products that are sold worldwide.
The opportunity to diversify comes from management’s ability to see opportunities to expand the company’s product and service offerings without going outside its core target industry base of engineering, manufacturing and information technology, Seifert says.
“Time and time again, we listened to what our customers had to say,” he says. “And we devoted resources to develop a unique set of services and product lines.”
The company invests heavily in training and equipment. Last year, it spent nearly $100,000 on software upgrades for its engineering team and is planning to build a 10,000-square-foot machine assembly building next year.
Seifert says much of what his company does is dictated by market shifts.
“The local landscape has changed dramatically,” he says. “There’s no question we face adversity in manufacturing. We have adjusted by opening satellite offices, which act as hubs and divert engineering work through our Massillon office. It allows us to provide the background of our corporate office staff to a much broader area within the U.S.
“Although the local manufacturing base has declined, our engineering services have remained constant and, in many cases, improved.”
How to reach: Seifert Cos., (330) 833-2700 or www.seifert.com