Robotic Technical Support Services
Emphasis on people, service drives robotics firm
The company name says it all: Robotic Technical Support Services (RTSS).
Maybe.
The truth is more nuanced. While robotics has been the bread-and-butter of the Holland, Ohio, company since its 2012 founding, its continued success can be attributed to a corporate culture that’s anything but robot-like.
“Culture is incredibly important in our company,” says Bethany Nowowiejski, whose hands-on presidency was instrumental in setting the tone from the beginning. “Our core values are at the heart of what our customers can expect from us: that we’re reliable, responsive and respectful.”
With services that span full turnkey robotic system engineering — both building and installing — and clients that include the automotive and aeronautical industries, complexities and challenges have been met head-on, speeding the company’s growth, she says: “Our company expertise grew with every new project. Ten years on, we’re still growing.”
Bethany is quick to credit company growth to her team, starting with her husband Joe, who’s serving as vice president. “We’re both entrepreneurs, always have been,” she says. “Our educational backgrounds might not be what you’d expect — mine is in secondary math education, Joe’s B.A. is in youth ministry — but we were looking for challenges and knew how to recognize an opportunity when it came, and how to problem-solve. The company grew from there.” (Joe also holds certifications on the technical side of the business.)
From four initial employees, RTSS grew to today’s 14. “We have amazing people on our team,” she says. “Their experience in system engineering, fluid delivery and programming is what attracts our customers — and the company culture our employees carry is what creates repeat customers.”
On the company calendar for 2023 is ISO certification, an exciting prospect that will both dovetail with the RTSS culture and strengthen it, says Bethany, whose sphere of responsibility includes oversight of company processes. “I handle the finances, too, and Joe does the engineering management side, plus sales. We make a good team.”
As a woman in engineering, a field still dominated by men, Bethany follows a simple but effective philosophy: “I stay goal-focused and don’t allow distractions to keep me from the goal.”
Allowing less-enlightened attitudes roll off her back, she notes that most male engineers she’s encountered respond positively when she makes it clear that “I’m going in this direction; join me if you want.”
The direction that RTSS charts for the future is based on widening the company’s breadth while building on the technical depth it’s achieved. “We want to widen our reputation and impact general industry,” Bethany says. “Right now, paint and dispensing make up the bulk of our business. We have much more capability that’s ready to reach new customers and have them become one of our repeat customers.”
Talk of the future naturally segues into succession planning, but given that Bethany and Joe’s children aren’t yet teens, some decisions aren’t imminent — although a succession plan was recently finalized. “Other family members are working for us: Joe’s brother, my niece and others. We’re not going to force our own kids if it’s not their inclination. Our philosophy is to build a bus that runs well — that makes is easy to pass it on.”
Along the way, the UT Family Business Center has provided support and direction, Bethany says. The regular meetings and events have been helpful, and the couple is looking forward to joining an affinity group soon.
At the end of the day, though, what gives Bethany the greatest sense of company pride goes straight back to the core values she brought up earlier: “We give our customers truly personalized experiences as we deliver on their wants and needs. They know that their concerns matter to us.”
How un-robotlike can one get?
