SETTING THE BENCHMARK

Benchmark Site Profile: Huntsville, Alabama

by Mark Ogburn / May 31, 2021

Huntsville, Alabama, is one of America's original technology hotspots—especially in the area of aerospace and defense. In fact, Huntsville's nickname is the "Rocket City" because of its long association with U.S. space missions. Huntsville is home to Cummings Research Park, the second-largest technology and research park in the United States, and a booming hiring market for talented engineers. 

Benchmark's Huntsville facility is also one of our longest-serving locations, and it enjoys a rich history. Our facility has been manufacturing electronics since the 1970s and has produced a variety of complex technologies. The Huntsville site has produced critical technologies for Dell, IBM, and Texas Instruments; and the first to manufacture boards for Dell laptops. We consider this facility a vital part of Benchmark's electronics manufacturing legacy.

Serving Computing and Defense

Huntsville serves the advanced computing, next-gen communications, commercial aerospace, and defense industries with integrated PCB assembly and test, system build, and pack-out services for complex electronic and electro-mechanical products. To meet the needs of defense and other U.S. government customers, our facility is ITAR-registered and utilizes sophisticated access controls to protect the mission-critical nature of our work.

We're not just satisfied with past success or resting on our laurels. We're always building towards the future to help our customers address the technology trends of today and tomorrow. We recently added new capabilities to make Huntsville an excellent choice for defense products, including wire harness assembly, additional SMT capabilities, conformal coating, and a suite of environmental stress screening (ESS) equipment, including vibration and additional burn-in oven tests.

Given our proximity to the heart of the American aerospace and defense industry, it's no surprise that electronics for defense platforms are a particular specialty for us. We work with defense industry leaders to develop reliable manufacturing processes and launch critical electronic systems that keep American and allied warfighters safe and effective. We're proud to be a part of this important work!

Whatever it Takes Attitude

The Huntsville team's motto is "whatever it takes." This means that we do whatever it takes to get the job done and get it done right. This mindset is at the core of our team. We're willing to go above and beyond and think outside the box to satisfy our customers.

A great example of this approach was when a customer needed to transfer their product out of a production facility in Europe. The product was the size of a server and incredibility complex. The issue was that their current manufacturing facility had no documentation on how the product was produced and could not share any instructions. Our engineers traveled to the facility and did extensive research to reverse engineer the supply chain, test process, and manufacturing. We started manufacturing here in Huntsville ahead of schedule, and the client was blown away by what our team accomplished.

For our team, customer satisfaction is everything. We pride ourselves on our strong relationship with past and present customers and regularly go above and beyond to ensure our customers are happy. For example, aftermarket services are a significant part of our offering. We provide complete repair services for every product we have—whether a competitor or Benchmark built it. We offer complete repair and refurbishment to every customer we serve, and it is not uncommon for our team to repair products built 15 years ago.

Supporting Our Community

Our team in Huntsville has always been passionate about giving back to our community. In 2020, when in-person volunteering and events were off the table, our team still found a way to come together to give back. Instead of a traditional holiday party, we put together a committee to plan holiday fundraising events. We brought Thanksgiving meals to those in need and hosted an event where we gathered jackets and coats for the homeless; we ended up donating over 600!

We are also passionate about training the next generation of engineers and technical talent in Huntsville. To support this, we partner with several local universities on internship programs.

To learn more about Benchmark's Huntsville location and what makes this team unique, please contact us.

Manufacturing Aerospace Communications Computing

about the author

Mark Ogburn

Mark Ogburn is the General Manager of Benchmark Alabama Operations- Huntsville. In his thirty-seven years in electronics manufacturing, he has served in key leadership roles, including Director of Operations and Program Management at Benchmark's Angleton, Texas location. He has also led supply chain strategies at Benchmark and other electronics manufacturers. Mark holds a BS in Management and Economics and an MBA in Economics from the University of Dayton.

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