About Us

Mr. Wade W. Woods has proven experience with Innovative Process Creation. During the last 25 years, Mr. Woods has specified and set up production facilities, production lines, cost reduction, improved processes, developed management teams and increased production for companies such as Cray Research, AT&T, Gould AMI, Case (Tractor) Company, Motorola and the Memory Division of Micron. Mr. Woods has also demonstrated the flexibility, knowledge and foresight to create start-up companies that became multi-million dollar operations. This sense of management then prompted Mr. Woods to concentrate his knowledge by assembling a team of business professionals to solve management and production problems, install new systems and pull many troubled companies onto the road of success. This team of professionals is known as DBA Key Tech.

Before receiving his Industrial Engineering degree from Northern Tech in Wausau, WI in 1983, Mr. Woods was already setting records for cost reduction at JI Case Co as an Industrial Engineering Intern, cutting the cost of the processes of metal working, fabrication and assembly of excavators and tractors.

At Owatonna Tool company,  Mr. Woods went to the electronics division soon to be named SPX as an Industrial Engineer I. Mr. Woods was promoted to Industrial Engineer II and continued to find innovative ways to cut costs. In 1984, Mr. Woods served as a Charter Member of the SMTA Upper Midwest Chapter. He was elected secretary in 1985-1986.

While working for SPX, a division of Seal Power and Owatonna Tool Company, Mr. Woods instituted Just-In-Time Manufacturing, Kan Ban, Group Technology Work Cells, MRP/JIT Inventory and set up SPX's initial surface mount technology assembly processes. While working for Heurikon Micro Computers, Mr. Woods perfected the 200+ holes/square inch soldering process. This process also prompted the installation of a state-of-the-art fully automated assembly system. Mr. Woods went on to specify the first Surface Mount Technology manufacturing line for the company.

Mr. Woods began his consulting career in 1987. Cray Research soon called Mr. Woods for outside consultation to improve Cray's soldering processes. Mr. Woods then set up several start-up Surface Mount Technologies (SMT) contract assembly companies leading to Mr. Woods launching Adept Engineering, his own engineering/contract assembly firm in 1988.  Mr. Woods developed processes and contracted assembly for many large customers such as AT&T, Gould AMI and Motorola.

At the height of Adept's multi-million dollar sales, Adept Engineering was sold in 1994 to Consolidated Electronics, a Canadian- based owner. Mr. Woods went on to set up seven international electronic manufacturing facilities, find customers for these facilities, hire management teams and operate the start up.

Some of these start up companies were Xinex Networks, Zybotix Manufacturing, AccuCare and Icron Systems. Mr. Woods also set up ESD systems for Silent Witness, a surveillance camera manufacturer that eventually became a Honeywell division.

Various electronic trade journals have published Mr. Woods' articles including the well known SMT/FAB News. During the 1990's, Mr. Woods spoke about planning and implementing surface mount capabilities at numerous trade exhibitions including the Expo SMT in San Jose, CA. Mr. Woods is an active member of SME, SMTA and APICS.

After returning to the Midwest in 2002, Mr. Woods worked with Analog Technology on implementing their ISO 9001 program and wrote many process details to help gain certification while being project leader on the Goodrich Sensor systems account. During this time, he helped Goodrich incorporate the Humphrey’s products into their product line while working with production and detailing the processes, along with many of their military sensor products.

In 2005, Mr. Woods incorporated Key Tech to become Key Tech Solutions Inc. Key Tech Solutions continued the tradition of promoting “Lean Manufacturing,” consulting worldwide to companies in countries such as Romania, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. These projects were for setting up new electronic manufacturing, flip chip, surface mount technology and plastic injection processes, while simultaneously helping companies attain the lean manufacturing principles. This helped these companies deliver defect free products, while cutting long term cost. Key Tech Solutions then set up a section of the company to offer new electronic accessories such as the patented “Wader” wash basket, stencil racks, and seek quality used electronic manufacturing equipment and offer them to customers worldwide. This service was embraced by many customers and the company has grown exponentially providing equipment to companies in 16 countries worldwide.

Most recently, Mr. Woods has assisted Tonka Electronics in their sales efforts in Wisconsin and Southern and Northern Minnesota. He has also helped Drum Computer Inc, a Canadian netbook and tablet computer manufacturer to prepare for the summer 2010 launch by giving presentations in the USA , preparing manufacturing plans and  lean assembly cost analysis of their soon to be assembled in North America computer products.