# From Garage Startup to EMS Excellence with Out of the Box COO Allison Budvarson

- Show: [EMS@C-LEVEL](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level)
- Published: 2024-04-14
- Length: 8m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson

## Summary

Allison Budvarson, Co-Founder and COO of Out of the Box Manufacturing, explains how her company evolved from a 2008 garage startup to a 70-employee contract manufacturer serving aerospace and defense clients. She details their hybrid business model, which balances 50% revenue from rapid prototypes with 50% from established local OEM products, supported by AS9100 and ITAR certifications. Budvarson discusses the operational challenges of managing fluid schedules and the strategic decision to reshore production despite higher onshore costs, citing intellectual property safety and collaboration benefits. Finally, she highlights the critical industry-wide talent shortage and her proactive approach to recruiting through high school engagement, apprenticeships, and maintaining gender parity in management.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson#t=8) Introduction: Out of the Box Manufacturing and Company Overview
- [1:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson#t=60) Business Model: Balancing Prototypes and Production with AS9100/ITAR
- [2:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson#t=169) Operational Excellence: Planning Processes and KPIs
- [3:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson#t=220) Reshoring Trends: Onshore Costs vs. IP Safety
- [5:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson#t=301) Talent Shortage: High School Engagement and Apprenticeships
- [6:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson#t=392) Diversity and Gender Parity in Management

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Out of the Box (company)
- AS9100 (other)
- ITAR (other)
- CMMC (other)
- NIST (other)
- IPC Leadership Summit (other)
- APEX 2024 (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Cameron Schiller (CEO/Founder, Rangeview)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2025-12-03-cameron-schiller-ceo-founder-rangeview) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [On-Demand Labor, Operations, and Finding a Co-Founder with Veryable CEO Mike Kinder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-09-21-on-demand-labor-operations-and-finding-a-co-founder-with-veryable-ceo-mike-kinde) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Systematizing Machine Shops to Strengthen National Security w/ Justin Baucum](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-02-24-systematizing-machine-shops-to-strengthen-national-security-w-justin-baucum) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [248: Reindustrialization and Building in the Midwest with Chris Nolte, Co-Founder of Bloom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-29-248-reindustrialization-and-building-in-the-midwest-with-chris-nolte-co-founder) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [CircuitHub, 12 Years Later with Andrew Seddon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-08-01-circuithub-12-years-later-with-andrew-seddon) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-04-14-from-garage-startup-to-ems-excellence-with-out-of-the-box-coo-allison-budvarson. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to EMS@C-LEVEL.