As we successfully complete our fifth year in business, we look back at 2016 to highlight our achievements and take a peek at what 2017 has in store for us.
As our team wakes up to a new year and gets ready to some new 2017 challenges — while sipping on some freshly brewed coffee, of course — we also take a moment to appreciate the many obstacles we overcame in 2016. But most importantly, we take a moment to appreciate every one of our employees and their efforts as we are proud to announce that 2016 has been Jaycon’s best year yet, with a 100% growth over the last 12 months and many exciting achievements.
Looking back at 2016
A bit of history
For those who are not familiar, Jaycon Systems started in Jay’s and Derek’s garage back in 2011, where they were both assembling circuit boards on a Phillips Assembleon Emerald pick and place machine dated back to the 90’s. After boards came out from the machine, they would use their kitchen stove to heat up the solder paste to solidify any connectors in place, and off it would go to a buyer from their online store.
Projects completed
Fast forward 5 years and here we are. Jaycon has grown from a two-person operation in the garage to a twelve-person team that is proud to bring people’s and company’s product ideas to life. We have just successfully completed our 100th project, and we are excited about the many more to come, where we help shape the industries we serve with innovative design and high-quality manufacturing.
Employee benefits
During this past year, we were able to create 4 more jobs on the Space Coast. But that’s not all — we transitioned all of our 12 contractors to full-time employees who now receive benefits: paid time off, paid holidays, paid volunteering, and profit sharing. We also have expanded our team of talented part-time contractors who work with us in numerous specific projects. We believe that treating our employees right is the most powerful element to a successful business.
Mission statement
This employee transition comes hand-in-hand with our strategy efforts, as we have recently rewritten our mission statement to reflect our beliefs and to put us in line with what we currently do. Our new mission statement is as follows:
Jaycon Systems’ mission is to bring our clients’ product ideas to life while inspiring them throughout the journey of product development and manufacturing. We believe that fostering a creative and inclusive work environment allows our employees to add value to our client’s projects while driving innovation and growth in the industries we serve.
Involvement in the community
In 2016 we have not only put our employees first, but the community as well. We placed a huge deal in giving back to the community in form of volunteering — food drives, mentorship, donations, Downtown Melbourne Main Street — and educational activities, content, and sponsorships. We were also actively engaged in the Maker Movement, working closely with makers to help inspire the younger generation to start making things that could be shaping the future. We believe in organizations and individuals who help foster that culture, such as the influential Ian Cole, founder of The Maker Effect Foundation, who has been shaping the maker landscape in the Space Coast community.
Global expansion
We are also proud to have incorporated our business in China this past year through a joint-venture agreement with a knowledgeable manufacturing Chinese team. This allows us to provide our clients competitive pricing and close quality control over any offshore operations, such as injection molding and high quantity PCB assembly.
National recognition
November of 2016 was an exciting month for Jaycon. As we were in celebration mode for our 5 years in business, our founders, Jay and Derek were highlighted by Space Coast Business (SCB) Magazine Young Entrepreneurs Edition. That’s not all — we were also beyond honored to have received the Rising Star in Technology Award by the Space Coast Tech Council in conjunction with the United States Congress. They recognize that Jaycon’s growth has been making a positive impact in the markets we serve and on the Space Coast technology community.
Five-year anniversary
On a side note — We also would like to highlight that during the one-month long celebration, our employees surprised our founders, Jay and Derek, with 1,500 balloons that filled their offices from bottom to top. The whole surprise was documented from preparation to execution and is available in this 2-minute long video.
Looking forward to 2017
Physical space
Jaycon is excited to make 2017 a new milestone in our journey that started back in 2011. We decided it’s time to expand again as our manufacturing operations and our team of twelve employees are outgrowing the current space at 801 E. Hibiscus Blvd. Construction is well on its way and we plan on having the space completed by mid-2017. Our new space will feature 5,700 square feet, where we allocate about 60% of the facility to manufacturing and the other 40% for office space.
Amongst the most exciting additions to our space are:
- 3 fully equipped prototyping stations for electrical and mechanical engineering;
- Fully stocked parts room for all electronic assembly;
- Project room for version control of all ongoing and past projects;
- 10-person box assembly line;
- Toolroom to include tools like belt sander, airbrushing station, thermoforming machine, and others;
- Dedicated 3D printing station with post processing tools to accommodate printers featuring different technologies; and
- Dedicated project management space.
Operations certification
We have recently started our ISO 9001:2015 certification, which specifies strict requirements for a quality management system that is being implemented for all our design and manufacturing services. Jaycon’s processes and documentation procedures have been taking an overhaul for the good, ensuring transparency and consistency in order to meet regulatory requirements and enhance customer satisfaction. The certification is applicable for our headquarters in Melbourne, FL and our office in Shenzhen, China. We plan on being ISO certified by June 2017.
Involvement in the community
Along with our efforts of giving back to the community in 2016, we look forward to being an official sponsor of Groundswell in 2017. This non-profit organization connects startups with true industry experts while assisting them in securing capital for sustainable growth. Groundswell was also highlighted by the Space Coast Tech Council during the same event that Jaycon was awarded by the Congress. Along with Groundswell, we bet on the talented Space Coast community as we both believe in ideas that can shape the future.
To continue our efforts in supporting the maker community, we are excited to announce that Jaycon is an official 2017 Maker Faire Blacksmith sponsor. Maker Faire’s mission aligns with our beliefs of showcasing, promoting, and inspiring other people on becoming makers. Jaycon will be attending three Maker Faire flagship events around the country. We will be supporting their mission by engaging youngsters and adults in fun activities while educating them about the technologies we use to bring product ideas to life.
- Maker Faire Bay Area (San Mateo, CA): May 19–21, 2017
- National Maker Faire (Washington, DC): June 17–18, 2017
- World Maker Faire (Queens, NY): September 23–24, 2017
During the Maker Faire events, Jaycon also plans on participating in their world famous Power Racing Series, where we tackle the challenge of creating a working electric vehicle for under $500. The series represents “engineering, technology, diversity, and imagination, [while] encouraging progressive use of available technology” as shown on their official website. They also believe that their event “inspires […] teams to help each other, even in the spirit of competition.” Jaycon is excited to be part of such a great event that stands for much more than just entertainment.
Website feature
In 2017 we plan on launching an exciting feature on our website that could possibly be a game changer for our injection molding services. We have been working with our engineers and Chinese partners on a quoting system that allows potential clients to quote their projects with our real-time cost estimator. Within this system, potential clients input values such as size, material, number of cavities, and other values to get an approximate cost of their injection mold project before submitting their files for revision.
Fun… Lots of it!
Last but not least, we are ready to continue to have fun at work in 2017. We believe that a work environment that promotes meaningful connections, creativity, flexibility, collaboration and a sense of community are key to engage and inspire our employees at work. We love being inspired by the simple things around us so we can continue to do a great job at bringing our clients’ products to life.
We are ready for 2017
In conclusion, we look forward to what 2017 holds and believe we have equipped ourselves with the best plan, employees, and tools necessary to excel. We are ready to tackle different and more challenging projects. We plan on continuing to drive innovation in the industries we serve so we can soon be the primary force of technological change in the world.
Jaycon Systems specializes in bringing products to life by offering a complete service line that takes product concepts to mass production.
Our offerings range from product and electronics design to prototyping and manufacturing. We apply our knowledge of technology to most markets, among them consumer electronics, computer hardware, marketing/multimedia, and environment. With our entrepreneurial spirit and as a rapid-prototyping firm, we believe in building products right the first time and introducing them quickly to market. For more, visit jayconsystems.com
