D3 purchase creates engineering services division

Photo provided by D3 Technologies

Manufacturing engineering consultant Brian Mills, left, joins President Kevin Schlack at D3 Technologies.

Last edited 11:55 a.m., Nov. 13, 2017

Six months after its largest acquisition yet, D3 Technologies purchased Brian J Mills Engineering LLC, merging a list of manufacturing clients.

D3 resells Autodesk Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ADSK) 3-D engineering software to manufacturers, often with customizations, and provides training to assist clients in utilizing the complex software. Brian Mills has been working from home as a manufacturing engineering consultant under the Mills Engineering name since 2009.

“I’m bringing with me the clients I had,” Mills said.

Manufacturers in the local area, such as Paul Mueller Co., Holloway America LLC and Gilbert Industries Inc. in Sparta - all clients of D3 - outsource engineering to Mills, he said, when they have overflow work. He also consults with companies that don't have in-house engineers.

“I’ve wanted to build the business, and this is the way to do it,” he said. “They have a large client base, and this gives us both the opportunity to expand.”

Prior to owning his own business, Mills was with Stainless Fabrication Inc. for 18 years, most recently serving as engineering director.

Through the undisclosed terms of the buyout, Mills becomes the director of D3’s new engineering services division. The unit plans to eventually hire several people at D3’s 4600 W. Kearney St., Ste. 100, office.

“It’s been something I’ve wanted to do at D3 for years,” said Kevin Schlack, president of D3. “We have done engineering services, we just did not have the high level of expertise that Brian has."

D3 bought roughly half of Wisconsin-based MasterGraphics Inc. in May, reportedly growing its client list by 80 percent and its revenue by more than 90 percent.

D3 also partially acquired Washington-based PacifiCAD Inc. in 2016, bought the business assets of Louisiana-based Vector Graphics Inc. in 2014 and purchased CADVisions Inc.’s Autodesk manufacturing business in 2007.