Electronic systems fuel various parts of the world today, with devices and appliances that allow us to live more efficiently. Whether it’s your car, fitness tracker, or drug pump, the seamless functionality of these devices heavily relies upon the use of precise timing components working inside them.
ECS Inc. International is one of the leading companies of timing components, specializing in frequency control and power inductors. They manufacture high-level passive timing, frequency control, synchronization, connectivity, and magnetic power solutions used in various applications that power the modern world. Without these critical components, things such as telecommunications equipment, everyday utilities, navigation systems, and industrial processes would not work as intended.
As an international company, ECS Inc. has met the growing global demand with its innovative yet robust components by serving customers across more than 150 countries. With the delivery of its crystal oscillators, SMD crystals, power inductors, real-time clocks, and other products, they have remained one of the primary providers of frequency control solutions globally.
Eric Slatten (President) is at the helm of ECS Inc. International. And we are excited to feature him in The Enterprise World’s current issue of The Most Successful Business Leaders to Watch Out for- 2023.
Embracing the Family Feeling
Eric Slatten has been making leaps in the electronic component industry since 2008. He began his endeavors in inside sales and soon progressed toward leading the global sales department and becoming President last year. Outside of overseeing daily business operations, Eric fosters the corporate relationships between ECS Inc. and their OEMs, CMs and global distribution partners alongside the ECS Inc. regional sales managers and sales representative network. Presently at ECS, what once was a small family business has rapidly grown in just a short period, says Eric. Despite this quick expansion, the tight-knit family feeling remains a key feature of their culture.
Growth Factors
Eric Slatten firmly believes that one can reach key achievements every day. He can attribute the growth in his career and the company overall to those daily wins. Eric says that ECS Inc. International continues to pivot and adapt daily, and outpacing the market, which adds a level of one-of-a-kind contentment to every day.
A Veteran with astute Experience
ECS Inc. International is a company with a vast experience of 43 years. Along with its innovative and reliable frequency control manufacturing, the company has a global presence with engineering and sales support systems in more than 18 countries, namely South Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, and the United States, catering to its customers.
Triggering Point of Growth
With decades of business experience and wisdom, ECS Inc. has grown in more ways than one. As ECS Inc. continues to grow, the relationships with current customers have reached new depths while also making way for new customers. According to Eric Slatten, a central part of the natural business growth cycle is hiring the right people for the right roles. However, only hiring them is not enough as you must let them do their job the best way without getting in their way.
The Early Days
Eric Slatten says he can’t comment on the early days of the company. However, in 1994, when his father purchased ECS Inc., the company was bringing in roughly $800,000 in revenue. In 2022, ECS did over $60,000,000, and they are well on their way to reaching $100,000,000. Reaching these milestones was made possible by everyone’s consistent work, sacrifice, and dedication, and all credit goes to the individuals who made it possible and the systems in place to help everyone succeed.
Key Products & Services
ECS Inc. International manufactures frequency control and power inductor components. The company also works with design engineers on projects internationally. In addition, they also collaborate with their channel partners to get orders.
Here is a listing of the products of ECS Inc.:
1. Crystals
Quartz crystal is the primary timing solution, and they provide an array of crystal (XTAL) products of different package sizes and frequencies across various industries. That includes IoT, industrial automation, medical, telecommunications, mobile, automotive, and more.
Here are the types of crystals ECS Inc. provides:
- Surface Mount (SMD) Crystals
- Through Hole Crystals
- 32.768 kHz Tuning Forks
- AEC-Q200 Qualified Crystals
- MHz Crystal Units with Integrated Thermistors
2. Quartz Crystal Oscillators
Quartz crystal oscillators are one of the in-demand product categories offered by ECS Inc..
The types of oscillators include:
- Surface Mount Crystal Oscillators
- Through Hole Crystal Oscillators
- AEC-Q200 Qualified Crystal Oscillators
- MultiVoltTM Quartz Oscillators
- VCXOs, TCXOs, and OCXOs
- ECSpressCON Quartz Oscillators
- Programmable Oscillators
3. Resonators
Resonators are an integral part of custom timing solutions, and ECS Inc. is a leading manufacturer of the following resonators:
- Ceramic Resonators
- Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Resonators
4. Filters
ECS Inc. is at the forefront of manufacturers that provide quartz and surface acoustic wave (SAW) based filters for communications, industrial engineering, and non-life-sustaining medical manufacturing applications.
Here are the types of filters they offer:
- Monolithic Crystal Filters
- Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Filters
- Ceramic (DCF) Filters
5. Power Inductors
Also known as coil or choke, a power inductor is a two-terminal passive electronic component primarily used to clean up the output from high-frequency switching power supplies. ECS Inc. offers various small form factor shielded power inductors for DC/DC power applications.
6. Real-Time Clocks (RTC)
ECS Inc. is a prominent name in the frequency control and power management products industry. And one of those products is the real-time clock, an all-in-one device that comprises a controller, oscillator, and an embedded quartz crystal resonator.
Reasons behind Continuous Success
There isn’t just one reason for the continuous success of ECS Inc. The leaders at the company attribute their success to the combination of many things. That includes every member of its team, its channel partners, its dedication to quality, and most importantly, delivering the service to the peak of their ability. The regular compliments from the channel partners and direct customers are a testament to the quality and care ECS Inc. provides through its services.
Beliefs that make the Teams Unique
Eric Slatten says ECS Inc. International stands behind three fundamental beliefs when hiring their employees, and those are: Hire right, trust, and empower. Applying these three things eliminates the need to look after or micromanage his employees as there is a unique synergy among every individual filled with trust, which allows them to work hard and have fun along the way.
Taking a Further Leap
ECS Inc. values its customers immensely. The company is always at the forefront to help its existing and potential customers, ready to listen to their feedback as it looks for better ways to offer more products that sufficiently meet their needs.
The Growth Mentality
Eric Slatten says he does not claim himself as an entrepreneur by definition however, he has the entrepreneurial mentality vital in growing any business. While Eric mainly focuses on sales, from the warehouse and logistics to the sales team, each working individual focuses on ways to do what is best for the entire team and the company.
Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs
There are four things Eric Slatten recommends for anyone looking to achieve entrepreneurial success:
- Have discipline
- Be consistent in your efforts
- Have mentors along the way to guide you through ups and downs
- Do not shy away from asking questions whenever necessary
