San Diego — Cables, connectors and jumpers. That’s the space where specialty manufacturer RF Industries Ltd. is finding its spark.
At the halfway point of fiscal 2018, revenue has outpaced all of fiscal 2017.
RF Industries (Nasdaq: RFIL) on April 30 wrapped up the biggest quarter in its nearly four decades of existence. It brought $22.4 million worth of sales, up from $7.6 million in the year-ago quarter. The business publicly announced its numbers June 11.
“I like being under the radar and outworking people, and that’s kind of what I think we did,” said Robert Dawson, who is finishing his first year as CEO.
Dawson, 44, doesn’t seem eager to take all the credit. In an interview, he said he had a pretty good start when he took the top job. But several things went well in the second quarter.
Quick-Turnaround Orders
RF Industries’ core business is quick-turnaround orders, fulfilled in days or weeks. The business aimed for 10 percent to 15 percent growth while layering in opportunities to get larger projects in the industrial and wireless carrier markets.
“We’ve done a good job of getting ourselves in front of the right people,” Dawson said.
RF Industries has also leveraged distribution channels. Generally, the CEO said, if an original equipment manufacturer needs a custom, unique or heavy product, RF Industries sells the piece directly. “Whereas if we can throw it on a shelf at a distributor, and they can hold it as inventory for us, they’re truly a force multiplier for us in the marketplace,” he said.
