Part of Samuel Automation, one of Canada’s oldest equipment fabricators, RAMP Inc. is a leader in autonomous robots. As a strongly diversified, recession-proof business, this company’s team knows how to weather economic and market flux while driving continuous growth. However, success depends on first achieving excellence and customer satisfaction. With that, the RAMP Inc. people have found a winning formula that serves them well.
The result has been to draw global firms like Denso, Aisin, Svante, Magna Electronics, and numerous Tier 1 suppliers to the company by offering formidable value and innovation, made possible by a workforce with the capacity for harnessing and integrating fleets of autonomous robots complete with communication and traffic systems. “Our repeat business from large multi-national companies is a success story for us,” says Michael Balzan, Director of Sales.
But there is a lot more to RAMP Inc. than intelligent robotics.
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, RAMP also offers renowned planar motor technology and automated design-build technology like material handling, automated assembly, and inspection equipment. Driven to be the best at what it does, this team dives deep into detail. The approach has yielded great success.
By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the selling points of customers’ products before developing a system that optimizes manufacturability, all while maintaining tight control over cost and quality, the company has become a trusted partner to some of the world’s largest fabricators of automobiles, consumables, and medical devices. RAMP also increasingly serves manufacturers in the energy industry.
The company’s name indeed travels fast. “Word-of-mouth between executives and engineers through supply chain synergies goes a long way,” says Balzan. Moreover, the company’s high level of personal engagement builds quality relationships, which clients value. “We continue to get business from our repeat customers. Because of that, we’re gaining new customers faster than we’ve seen for the last two years,” Balzan says.
Still a hands-on leader, ready to work shoulder to shoulder in the trenches with team members since the company’s early days, he has been part of every step toward prosperity.
As a result of these valuable bonds, RAMP Inc.’s legacy of hard work and disruptive innovation endures. Never the kind of corporation to stagnate, evolution remains a constant that brings regular change and improvement to its systems, facilities, and the capabilities of its skilled professionals.
RAMP is currently moving into a new facility on Bridge Street, Waterloo, where it will join another group that’s also part of Samuel Automation. This opens the door to significant expansion, giving the company access to double its present resources. This strategic move also means continued diversification as RAMP increases its presence across the United States.
Leading with innovation, the company’s next move will establish it in the satellite fabrication industry. With another Samuel autonomous robot and appliances facility in Tucson, Arizona, its expansion portfolio looks increasingly promising, and change remains a constant companion.
Having started as Samuel and Sons and later becoming Samuel Automation, the firm will soon rebrand itself as RAMP by Samuel Automation. While its name is changing, its enduring reputation for quality has seen RAMP Inc. go from strength to strength after joining Samuel Automation in 2022.
The acquisition was a well-considered and lucrative strategy for both divisions. “We’re going to grow within the Samuel organization to support their business as well as other manufacturers,” Balzan says.
As well as RAMP’s range of state-of-the-art autonomous mobile robots, its research and development team creates custom technology for clients who need sophisticated solutions to drive their fabrication outfits in new, improved ways. In keeping with this mandate and as part of its fresh rebranding strategy, RAMP by Samuel will soon also offer enabling technologies and expanded development. These technologies and services enhance user capabilities and system performance through more focused innovation.
Together with cutting-edge innovation, customers gain tremendous value from collaborating with this team. RAMP Inc. is equipped to take complex projects from the pre-automation and proof-of-concept phases to providing pilot production systems, followed by replication. There are also traceability applications and other game-changing software tools comprising extensive vision technology.
And the rewards are real. With a powerful marketing strategy in full swing, the company is seeing an upturn in business as manufacturing slowly returns to home soil, altering the ecosystem in which U.S.-based OEM outfits serve markets like electric vehicles and others. As the clean energy sector and others drives its growth, the company continues to make customer operations optimally profitable with the application of robust success-assurance processes. By minimizing the risk profiles of future product lines, customers gain more than peace of mind; their bottom lines also benefit tremendously. “We continue making the most effective products in the most cost-effective way,” says Balzan.
Committed to improving traceability, validation, analytics, and workflows, RAMP’s research and development team continuously refines its proprietary technologies. Two analytics products, Mavix and SPMX, feature outstanding tracking functions that powerfully enhance material workflow. While these could see rebranding over time, the new RAMP LogistiX software will soon hit the market as a new flagship software suite.
With tremendous growth targets ahead, RAMP’s investments transcend technology and equipment developments, however. Over the past year, the company has introduced considerable upgrades to its facility and improved its semiconductor and life sciences applications’ performance, while maintaining a state-of-the-art clean room. Its fabrication capabilities are also growing alongside an ever evolving website.
Paramount to RAMP Inc. achieving its desired outcomes over the next 36 months is doubling its staff to hit expansion targets. “Our customer base and the market make it look like this is achievable,” Balzan confirms. Known for being the most discerning of employers, RAMP’s procurement process is thorough, ensuring that the best candidates join the team, whose performance is a tough act to match.
Which brings us to another win for RAMP’s clients. The calibre of its employees provides customers with so many unexpected benefits that it often seems satisfaction is inevitable. And that is why high-stakes fabricators keep coming back for more. “Our customers struggle in finding subject matter experts to implement and even specify projects that they have,” shares Balzan. Until they find RAMP, that is. Access to top-notch experts committed to customer success is the main draw for many international giants in North America, and “we provide a resource team in whatever area of expertise is needed to help them achieve their goals,” he says.
The company actively builds its workforce by supporting local training facilities. While Balzan serves on advisory committees assessing real-time industry developments, RAMP Inc. also employs co-op students from the local college and the University of Waterloo. This mentorship opportunity gives young newcomers to the field hands-on, real-world experience, while the company secures a steady stream of future engineering experts signing up for its team.
With so many happy customers, RAMP Inc. has celebrated many successes. Its commitment to continuous improvement and its close ties with the energy industry recently led to the signing off of the pilot assembly for its largest production system to date. Custom fabricated for carbon capture, the project has allowed the company to help the planet in the process. “It’s exciting to be a part of this green project,” Balzan tells us.
Beyond improving capabilities and cultivating better ways to perform—while helping customers thrive through the product development and integration of outstanding automation systems—expansion remains the team’s ultimate objective. “We’re going to grow considerably larger than we currently are,” Balzan assures us. With new horizons beckoning, this Canadian powerhouse is fabricating the future of automation.
