Catching Up With AMI EMS President Greg Boyd: Our People Make the Difference

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

I’ve had the privilege to work with countless companies in the electronics manufacturing space, but few have impressed me as deeply as Alternative Manufacturing Inc. (AMI). Based in Winthrop, Maine, AMI is a 100% employee-owned company that embodies the very best of what American manufacturing can be.

AMI sets itself apart by its unwavering commitment to quality, transparency, and partnership. The Lean manufacturing processes and open-book pricing model foster trust and collaboration that’s rare in this industry. Whether you’re a startup needing a few prototypes or an established OEM scaling to full production, AMI has the flexibility and expertise to support your journey.

The comprehensive capabilities range from PCB assembly and box builds to cable harnesses and ultrasonic welding. But beyond technical prowess, the people at AMI truly make the difference. Each employee-owner takes personal responsibility for delivering excellence, and it shows in every interaction and every product.

In a world where manufacturing often feels impersonal, AMI stands out as a company that genuinely cares about its customers and success. It’s no wonder they’ve built lasting relationships across industries like medical, aerospace, and green technologies.

Of course, I love that they are a good Maine company just 15 miles from my house, so a few weeks ago, I thought it was time to visit my friend and AMI President Greg Boyd.

Dan Beaulieu: Greg, it’s good to catch up with you again. Remind me how AMI got its start.

Greg Boyd: AMI was founded in 1989 by individuals working for Digital Equipment at their Augusta, Maine, manufacturing facility. The initial startup was in Waterville, but after a few months, they found a permanent home in Winthrop, on the shores of Maranacook Lake, where we continue to operate. These were the early stages for electronics contract manufacturing, and the founders were convinced that with their skill sets and experience in the industry, they could leverage that to provide a service to the market that was seeing increasing demand. They had a strong commitment to creating jobs and contributing to the economic prosperity of Central Maine, and it remains that way today.

Beaulieu: How do you function as president of AMI? What are your responsibilities?

Boyd: As the president and CEO, as you might imagine in a small manufacturing company, this means I wear many hats. I’m engaged in not only providing long term leadership and direction but also often very involved in the day-to-day demands of the business.

Beaulieu: Greg, what is your background?

Boyd: I was born and raised in central Illinois and was very fortunate to start my professional career in Maine after I graduated from Purdue University. I spent many years on the procurement side of the business before moving into manufacturing roles. Most of this time was spent in the pulp and paper industry with a short stint in the food service distribution business.

Beaulieu: How long have you been at the company?

Boyd: I started in 2009 working in Quality Management Systems and inventory control. The company was experiencing significant growth and was seeking staffing support to manage this growth period successfully. For the past 16 years, I have been involved in all areas of the business before moving into my current role.

Beaulieu: What makes AMI stand out?

Boyd: I love this question because AMI is not your typical EMS or CM. We don’t have the long automated lines, which have a person feeding at the start and another catching at the other end. We are set up to be 100% lean, with what we would call 11 “mini lines.” Our lines are set as individual pieces of equipment with operators throughout the process. This allows us to run either 11 p/ns simultaneously or use multiple machines if the job is complex. This does two things for us. First, it makes us friendly to the startups where we can do a small batch (we use Juki equipment for rapid changeovers). Second, and most importantly, we have a single-piece flow which drives our first-pass quality yield to an extraordinarily high rate. This allows AMI to catch any quality problems, usually at a single piece or at 3 or less.

Beaulieu: What are the challenges your company faces selling in North America?

Boyd: I believe the most significant challenge facing us is finding our way to actually get in front of a potential customer to share our story. Over the past couple of years, we have certainly tried to increase our marketing efforts to help us identify strong leads. We get it that you have to do this, but at the end of the day, it remains very challenging to get your foot in the door.

Beaulieu: I know that AMI is very proud of the fact that you are employee owned. Can you talk about that?

Boyd: Yes, we are very proud to be a 100% employee-owned company. We converted the ownership of the company in 2009, the year that I joined the company. The decision to become employee-owned was made when the primary shareholder was contemplating an exit strategy. In support of the mission to continue to provide manufacturing services and manufacturing jobs in Central Maine, the idea of employee ownership provided a model that fit both the spirit of that mission and the spirit of providing economic prosperity to the employee owners who were choosing to commit their work career to the company. We have been fortunate over the years to see the value of the company grow, and that as a result, the employee owners have been the beneficiaries of that success.

Beaulieu: As an EMS company, what is the most important thing you can offer your customers?

Boyd: Of course, customer service is always important, now more than ever.

Beaulieu: Yes, of course. What does customer service mean for you and your team at AMI?

Boyd: We like to invite those needing contract manufacturing services to “Come join the AMI Family.” We are very upfront with folks that our approach is support with a sincere desire to form a strong partnership with all our customers. It is not our business model to rely on one-time, transactional orders. Our commitment is to support you through the entire production/distribution cycle and to do so by delivering on time and with a very high level of quality performance. We believe our “family” at our facility—customer service, technical support staff, and the production/distribution team—will know your products as well or maybe better than you do over time.

Beaulieu: Tell me about the services and technologies that you provide.

Boyd: We have always been and remain committed to printed circuit board assembly and full box builds. We provide some additional cable assembly services, primarily supporting our customers’ requirements for box build projects. With that said, we offer a full array of services, which include automated machine placement, through-hole, both AOI and X-ray inspection, functional testing, conformal coating, and encapsulation. We also provide inventory management services for both raw materials and finished goods, which can meet a customer’s complete distribution requirements.

Beaulieu: What kind of customers do you service?

Boyd: AMI grew up on what I would categorize as industrial electronics for control boxes, power, solar, etc. We have morphed into a company that serves mil/aero, IoT, green tech, medical, and a few others. Our focus for 2025 is to get back to our roots in the industrial electronics market, but also to focus on mil/aero (defense). With our process, we are able to support NPI and development projects within the Tier 2 and 3 defense/aerospace sectors. We are not a quick-turn shop; however, we work well with these types projects that are being developed and need the extra touch that we offer. Our goal is to help develop and support a growing project need from development to production.

Beaulieu: Why should companies become your customers?

Boyd: We tend to speak about our customers as family, and we mean every word of this. We are not interested in customers just looking for a lower product cost. We want the customer that is as open and transparent as we are. We want a long-term relationship, not just a transaction. If I had to guess, I’d say that more than 80% of our business comes from referrals, and having a Net Promoter score of 90 or better is proof of what our customers think of AMI. 

Beaulieu: What advantages do you have over other similar companies?

Boyd: I refer to what we call our “three uniques”: 1) Creating processes for startups and mature businesses, ensuring their success; 2) Quality drives our processes, people, and products every day; 3) We are known for building successful partnerships through collaboration and communication. Our passion is helping our customers succeed.

Beaulieu: What is your reach globally and in North America?

Boyd: The location of our customer is not or has it been a limiting factor. Over the years, we have had many international companies, so we are well-versed in our ability to service these types of accounts. We also offer our services throughout North America, actively servicing customers up and down the east coast and from the Midwest to the West Coast.

Beaulieu: Where do you want to be in three to five years?

Boyd: Our current growth strategy is to grow modestly with our current base of customers and to support this by creating relationships with new customers that fit our capabilities and the markets we can support.

Beaulieu: What is your plan for increasing your sales globally?

Boyd: Over the years we have gained experience shipping globally, so we feel very competent in our ability to support this type of business. When these opportunities present themselves, we certainly do our best to determine the fit for our business and to be confident that we will be successful in supporting it. Admittedly, our primary focus is on the domestic U.S. market, but we do not shy away if an international opportunity presents itself.  

Beaulieu: How are you marketing in North America?

Boyd: Our marketing structure has evolved over the years, whereas we try to utilize some of today’s newer B2B methodologies. We see some business come through the website, but we also use adverts within trusted companies like I-Connect007, LinkedIn, and Google Ads. Occasionally, we will do a few selective shows and events. One of the successes for promoting start up business is in supporting some of the Incubators within the Northeast area such as Greentown Labs. We have recently engaged with a third-party affiliate to test out a LinkedIn outbound marketing campaign. Check back with us in six months, and we will know more about how this is working out.

Beaulieu: What are the advantages of selling/working for the company?

Boyd: First and foremost, we have a true family-type atmosphere. We have a policy of respect for each other and promote continuous improvement. As a 100% employee-owned company, we truly value each other, and it shows as we support and back each other up. We are not the fastest nor are we the biggest, but when you engage us, we truly have your best interest at hand. We want to be a good fit for both sides.

Beaulieu: How do you see the market today?

Boyd: It has truly been an interesting run over the past five years. Dealing with COIVD drove us to change and adapt. Supply chain shortages gave us new challenges. AMI not only made it through, but we thrived as we took on a product that supported the vaccine program. Today, it’s a different world with tariffs and more folks onshoring. We have been blessed with great people and incredible customers. We are on a solid growth path as we head into 2025 and beyond.

Beaulieu: There is a lot of controversy about China right now. How does that affect your company?

Boyd: The ongoing and ever-changing tariff evolution is the biggest challenge for everyone in the EMS supplier industry. Good or bad, it is certainly a challenge to keep ahead of things. I believe that COVID taught us a lesson about supply chains and their challenges. Over the next year or two, we will see some type of changes happening within EMS. With China, it’s a wait-and-see situation.

Beaulieu: As we wrap up, do you have anything you want to add?

Boyd: We would like to think that we are all impervious to the challenges and changes that affect us, but we are not. As a small company, we balance our resources every day, probably more so than the big guys really have to. The advantage of someone like an AMI is that we are small enough to adapt quickly, yet big enough to sustain the ebb and flow of the market.

Beaulieu: Great. On that note we will come to a close. Greg, great interview thanks for spending time with me today.

Boyd: Thank you, Dan.