History

Since 1994, CSIA has grown from a handful of startups to a thriving community of successful system integrators from around the world.

Give 1 Idea and Get 10 in Return

Since its founding more than 30 years ago, CSIA has helped hundreds of system integrators build robust and thriving businesses – all based on one simple motto: Give 1 idea and get 10 in return.

When computers first arrived on the factory floor and in control houses, people who understood both industrial processes and information technology were needed to design, engineer and implement electronic control systems.

The Control System Integrators Association was established by a group of independent control system integrators brought together by Charlie Bergman. Charlie published a newsletter promoting and supporting the independent control system integrator.

In 1993, Charlie hosted a meeting for about 25 subscribers. The following year, CSIA was established as an affiliate of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association at a meeting held in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

From the outset, the common thread throughout CSIA’s activities has been to raise the bar, as well as to:

  • Improve the business skills of its members.
  • Help integration firms of all sizes, engineering specialties, product experience and industry knowledge share their collective business wisdom to help control their individual destinies.
  • Provide a forum for members to discuss common business issues.
  • Enhance the professionalism of independent control and information system integrators.
  • Communicate the resulting benefits to the broad business community.

From Charlie’s vision came the key, defining concept of the future CSIA: Sharing – knowledge, best practices, key performance indicators – to advance the success of all. “Charlie told us to share ideas with one another, and it would come back tenfold,” said Pat Miller, a 2002 award winner from Engineered Energy Solutions.

It’s an ethos that lives on to this day.

TOP ROW – Left to Right: Chung Park, PhD, Pres. Metra Instruments, Inc., Frank J. Lid, Dir. Manufacturing Resources, Inc., Alan Maciejewski, V.P. Sis & Mktg Y-E-P Industries, Inc., Don Eckert, Pres. Y-E-P Industries, Inc., Calvin Ferguson, Mgr. CIM, Systems Babcock & Wilcox, Inc., Pat Miller, Pres. Engineered Energy Systems, Charlie Bergman, Pres. Technical Marketing, Michael J. Beringer, V.P. Sales Metra Instruments, Inc., Chip Rennie, Pres. Automation Application, Inc., Glenn Buck, Mktg. Mgr. Applied Control Systems, Inc.

MIDDLE ROW – Left to Right: Robert Zeigenfuse, Pres. Advanced Automation Associates, Inc., Robert Visner, V.P. RoviSys Company, Thomas W. Barton, Pres. Trola Industries, Inc., John Pittman, Pres. Computer Products, Inc., Donald Steberl, V.P., Sales Automation Controls, Inc., Richard Lamb, Pres. Control Concepts, Inc., George Winstead, Siemens Industrial Automation, Inc., Jack Grenard, Editor Carefree Communications, Jan Bergman, Mktg. Mgr. Controls Unlimited, Inc., Ray McKinney, Allen-Bradley

BOTTOM ROW – Left to Right: Thomas L. Wilson, Pres. Programmable Control Services, Inc., Larry MacDonald, Batch Pgm Mgr GE-Fanuc Automation, N.A. Inc., Dale Caster, Square D, Tony Leszczynski, Mgr. PLC Strategis Partnership Square D, Stan New, Pres. New Technology, Inc., John W. Robertson, Pres. RoviSys Company, Larry Ethridge, Pres. TOPRO, Inc., Jaime D. Jordan, Pres. Applied Industrial Automation Inc.

Pat Miller Recalls the History and Beginnings of CSIA

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