NOTE: The Artful Sourcing blog referenced below has since been discontinued.

On the Artful Sourcing blog I recently wrote an article on Where To Find Great Design. That article identifies an online resource for locating design and engineering firms that specialize in different disciplines.

Some people have asked why Baselodge Group does not represent any design firms. Since we are the sales representatives for a variety of contract manufacturers, we do offer some design insofar as our manufacturers have design capability. Most of our manufacturers, though, are focused on manufacturing. It is usually much better for our customers to work with dedicated design and engineering firms and then to let our manufacturers build the resulting design.

We have had opportunities to add some design firms to our line card, but we prefer to remain focused on contract manufacturing. Several of the outstanding design firms in Austin, TX are customers of ours. We help them with quick-turn PCB fabrication, PCB assembly, custom keypads, membrane switches, injection molding, metal casting, aluminum extrusion, etc. Given that we value all of them as customers, we choose to remain in a supplier role to them.

Because of the nature of our business we often get an opportunity to refer clients to design houses. This is the way we choose to help our design house customers. We are pleased to refer people to the design firms that we know and trust in the Austin area and throughout our geographical territory (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico).

So, if you have a need for design, whether it be industrial, mechanical, electrical, packaging, embedded systems, or even PCB layout, please call or write. We will be glad to give you a recommendation of one or more of the design firms that we know and trust.