About Us

At Control Design, Inc. we are committed to your total satisfaction. From quality control to delivery concerns, our business is driven by our core competencies of manufacturing the highest quality control panels.

  • We have earned a reputation for quality and performance. As a specialty manufacturer, we know how critical it is to be flexible and to respond to the new or changing situations faced in the ever-changing electrical industry.

  • We act not as competition but rather as an extension to engineering companies, integrators, and distributors. Ideally, Control Design coordinates the entire manufacturing of the control panel or assemblies. From purchasing the components and expediting the delivery of numerous suppliers, to assembly, testing, and shipment of the finished product.

  • We will manufacture projects from your complete set of drawings and specifications, or from hand sketches and verbal information provided on the fly, with formal AutoCAD drawings furnished by Control Design, if desired.

  • As we continue to grow our business, we hope to have our customers understand the long-term possibilities involved with having a partnership with Control Design, Inc. Suppliers use quality and customer satisfaction all too frequently in today’s world. At CDI we feel our quality is unequaled and can be substantiated by our Total Quality Management System and the long-term relationships that we have with our customer base.

2023

Present Day

Looking to the future is always difficult given the ever-changing world we live in, but the future is bright for Control Design, Inc. As we continue to maintain our business, we hope to have our customers understand the long-term possibilities involved with having a partnership with Control Design, Inc. Suppliers use quality and customer satisfaction all too frequently in today’s world. At CDI we feel our quality is unequaled and can be substantiated by our Quality Program. More important than statistics and metrics, is the positive feedback that we get from our customers.

October 2005

In October 2005 we moved into our current facility in the RIDC Park West located off of the Montour Run exit of the Parkway West. This facility provides the floor space that was critical in maintaining our growth. In March 2010 we moved our Erie operations into its new 12,000 sq. ft. facility.

2010

July 1999

In July of 1999, we went “live” with the implementation of our new ERP computer system. The Made2Manage software provides us the necessary seamless integration of resource planning so critical in today’s fast pace market. The system includes all manufacturing functions such as estimating sales order entry, purchasing, job order tracking, labor bar coding, costing, accounting, and shipping of all projects. In September 2001, we were recognized by Made2Manage with the “Award of Excellence” for our successful implementation and continued application of the system to our business.

1988

June 1988

In June of 1988, William Harrington, founder and President of Grant Industrial Controls, Inc. purchased Control Design, Inc. Bill’s foresight into the compatibility of the two corporations as well as his strong business experience was the catalyst that CDI required. In August of 1988 William Small was brought into the corporation. Since this time these individuals have provided the strong management background and creativity that has permitted CDI to grow from a $1.8 million company to over $20 million.

April 1980

Control Design, Inc. started business in April of 1980 but its origin goes back to the 1960’s. A company called Control Products Inc. was at one time a major player in the industrial control systems and panel industry. Control Products was a privately held corporation until the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) purchased it and used it exclusively for all it’s worldwide control panel requirements. Because of various political and labor situations within the ALCOA and Control Products Divisions, ALCOA decided to sell off the Control Products Division to Nash International based in East Palestine, Ohio. Again, a labor situation caused Nash to move the operations to North Carolina. At this time Control Products was a skeleton of its old self and within a short time dissolved completely.

But ALCOA’s panel requirements were still present. During this time ALCOA persuaded five former employees of Control Products to look at the possibilities of starting a control panel business and Control Design, Inc. was formed. Most of CDI’s business revolved around ALCOA. Through the early years, inroads were made into other corporate accounts, but until 1988 approximately 70% of CDI’s business were ALCOA projects. During this time CDI’s corporate ownership dwindled from five to two. With diversification into other areas by the owners not as successful as originally planned, they made the decision to sell the corporation.

1965