25 years in automation

How long has Automate America been in business?

The company was founded in 2001 as a DBA and incorporated as Wallace Automation on 23 August 2004. The Automate America marketplace opened publicly on 17 November 2018. The work behind it goes back further still — to a Plymouth Prowler stamping die in 1998 and automotive body-shop robots in 1999.

1998 – 2001

Employee

It starts on the floor, on real machines, for real programmes.

• January 1998Tony Wallace machines the deck-lid stamping die for the Plymouth Prowler.
• January 1999Begins programming automotive body-shop robots at an automation startup in Michigan — Ford Dearborn Stamping, Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly, Chrysler Sterling Stamping and others.

2001 – 2004

Independent

The business begins as a DBA — no corporation, just the work and the name.

• 2001The company is founded as a DBA. Tony works as an independent contractor in automotive automation.

2004 – 2009

Service company

A name on paper, then other people’s names on the payroll.

• 23 August 2004Wallace Automation is formed — Articles of Incorporation filed. Work runs through Gonzalez Production Systems, ABB Robotics and KUKA Systems.
• 15 October 2004First independent contractor hired.
• 1 December 2004First employee hired.
• 15 December 2006Heather Wallace leaves Valeo to run Wallace Automation full time.
• 27 August 2007Work spans Diverse Industries, KUKA Systems, Valiant Machine Tool and BMW. The company becomes WBENC-certified and Heather becomes the majority owner.
• 3 January 200815 independent contractors working for four of the nation’s largest machine-tool builders out of Detroit, Michigan.
• 1 July 2009First project in South Carolina, for BMW.

2010 – 2013

Integrator

South Carolina, an office from a customer, and the first robots of our own.

• 2 January 2010Diverse Automation moves from Washington, Michigan to Spartanburg, South Carolina.
• 13 May 2011Over 30 programmers working direct and for suppliers at BMW Spartanburg.
• 1 August 2012First office — given to us by BMW — in Berry Shoals, South Carolina.
• 28 January 2013Laura Charles hired as Office Manager.
• 5 March 2013Bought our first in-house training ABB robot.
• 3 April 2013Bought our second R&D training robot, a KUKA KRC4 Agilus.
• 15 June 2013Top headcount of 52 employees and contractors.
• 17 June 2013BMW South Africa — nine programmers on site, on and off, for nine months.
• 22 July 2013Installed our first two robots, at Faurecia Fountain Inn, South Carolina.
• 12 August 2013Bought our third training and R&D robot, a FANUC LR Mate.
• 14 August 2013Second office, 260 Morley Court.
• 19 August 2013Hired our first Ph.D.
• 3 October 2013First vision system — designed, built, programmed and installed in-house.
• 4 November 2013Mechanical design department begins.
• 11 November 2013R&D begins on guiding drones with machine vision, and guiding robots from drone imagery. Accomplished.
• 5 December 2013Became FANUC integrators.

2014 – 2017

Systems builder

Building the machines, not just programming them — and going global.

• 6 February 2014Installed our first FANUC robots with a custom vision system.
• 27 March 2014Diverse Industries is rebranded to Diverse Automation, and receives certification from the South Carolina Governor’s Office of Small & Minority Business Assistance.
• 9 August 2014First of many vision inspection booths ships.
• 2 October 2014First thermal imaging systems ship.
• 10 October 2014Installed our first vision-guided collaborative robot, at BMW.
• 5 March 2015Joined the RIA/AIA.
• 27 April 2015First aerospace R&D project funded 100% by a customer.
• 3 December 2015Bought our first CNC machine.
• 1 February 2016First project in Shanghai.
• 12 February 2016First project in England.
• 26 July 2016Awarded our first ABB collaborative YuMi project — two YuMis assembling small motor stators with vision guidance.
• 26 August 2016Installed our second CNC machine.
• 15 October 2016Diverse Automation Michigan opens its doors.
• 2 January 2017Officially open for business at Brushy Creek, South Carolina.
• 10 July 2017Moved to the 5th floor of 125 The Parkway, Greenville, South Carolina.

2018 – today

Marketplace

Everything above is why the marketplace looks the way it does.

• 17 November 2018Automate America launches publicly — a place for skilled professionals and the companies that hire them to find each other directly.

The same people, still doing the work

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