fbpx

Nova Engineering

An affinity for science and its potential applications drove Manhar Karsanbhai to pursue his Bachelor of Science at Colorado University in electrical engineering. After spending several years gaining experience in semi-conducting, storage, and research and development with companies from Colorado to California, Manhar decided it was time for a change. “It’s a big leap going from corporate America to jumping in to business ownership,” he said.

Nova Engineering was established in 1979 and Manhar took ownership of the company in 2013, the first business he’s ever owned. Being an established company, it came with its own set of unique challenges. As he began to realize his entrepreneurial dream, he drew upon previous experience to look for ways to improve the efficiency and flow of the business along with their manufacturing processes. By October of 2013, Nova Engineering began the process of earning ISO 9001:2001 certification that ensures certified companies comply with high quality processes, which would allow Nova to target larger companies to contract with. During this auditing process, Manhar began working with the North Metro Denver SBDC to streamline and add structure to their business processes. “Our consultant helped us through the ISO process, which was very challenging. We went from doing things ad hoc to very documented and standardized, which required a change in the company culture.”

Now that the company is ISO certified, they are working on building electronics that go in to medical equipment such as ultrasound probes for fetal monitoring, vascular products, infusion pumps and more. “It feels good to be part of a company that makes products that help with health needs, especially for a lower cost than many of the products that are out there.” Nova Engineering is proud to manufacture high quality products that are made in the United States and to provide skilled, well paying manufacturing jobs to the Colorado economy.

The challenges for Nova Engineering are never ending; their plan in working with the SBDC has shifted from their ISO certification to now developing leadership training for both management and employees, as well as implementing LEAN manufacturing processes. “Finding a skilled workforce and training existing employees on new technology are our next large challenges. Our growth will be ongoing.”

The future of Nova Engineering is bright, and owner Manhar says he’s, “Starting to see a little bit of light and everything is coming together. We are getting a better feel of how this business is run and how to improve.” In the near future, they are anticipating adding new equipment and working closer with original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) to better meet their needs as they build new products. “It all boils down to perseverance, patience and focus.”

Timberleaf Trailers

Kevin Molick is a custom cabinet contractor and outdoorsman. The idea of building a teardrop trailer for his camping adventures intrigued him so he built one to suit his needs. It wasn’t long before he was getting inquires on social media about how one of these trailers could be purchased which moved him to start building more trailers. By the end of 2016 he had built and sold 12 of these custom made trailers. “We

Read More »
Rocky Mountain Brownies

There is rarely a linear path to entrepreneurship. Often, it is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, that wind us through the business journey. That has surely been the case for Lori Christensen, owner of Rocky Mountain Brownies. Lori was sailing through a highly successful law career, when a series of life altering circumstances forced her to reconsider what she valued most and what kind of life she wanted to lead.

Read More »
Mother Tucker Brewery

After decades in corporate America Deb and Scott Tucker agreed it was time to start living their dreams. So after 30 years, with one of the pair in risk management, they decided to take a calculated risk at owning their own business and started Mother Tucker Brewery. They started practicing their craft in their garage inviting neighbors to come in and taste their wares. Their brews were a hit with neighbor and friends. After many

Read More »
Old School Heros

Tom Concannon, owner of Old School Heros, had the business plans set, loans lined up, and was even doing walk throughs to lease a space for his brick and mortar sandwich shop in Thornton, a dream that had been in the making for more than 25 years and one he had been actively pursuing for the past four years. But suddenly all those plans fell away. Sound familiar? As restaurants shuttered across the country, grappling

Read More »
CIMBRA Inc.

Owning and operating a business is challenging. Doing so as someone who is underrepresented in business as well as their own industry ads even more hoops to jump through. For Miriam Rodriguez though, the challenges are worth struggling through to live everyday doing the work she loves.

Read More »
JCS Cleaning Services

A strong online presence is crucial to a business’s success, especially in our ever-increasing digital world reliant on technology. For many business owners, the skills needed to create and manage a professional website are daunting and ultimately a barrier to their business’s growth. To address the gap in digital skills, especially among minority business owners, the North Metro SBDC started a website program led by Diego Leyes, Bilingual Digital Marketing Specialist and Spanish Programs Outreach Consultant. The selected client for the first round of the website program was Jorge Torres, owner of JCS Cleaning Services.

Read More »
Skip to content