A hardware company that innovates like a software company

For about a quarter of a century, MBX has singularly focused on hardware delivery. Our roots took hold in the ‘90s when our founder Tom Crowley found a niche with a mail-order business selling hard drives, motherboards, and other commodity hardware. Back then, people ordered components advertised in trade magazines by telephone, and the way our company differentiated itself was by providing a high-touch customer experience.

Over the years we progressively expanded from components to complex hardware solutions, and our customers have shifted from tech enthusiasts to global tech powerhouses. Throughout our growth, we’ve stayed true to our singular focus, kept that high-touch approach, and notched up our capabilities with seasoned hardware and software experts and a range of services designed to streamline hardware delivery.

Why would a company known for hardware employ a team of software experts?

Two reasons. First, having our own software development team lets us build the technology infrastructure that is the backbone of our award-winning manufacturing operations. Second, it means we’re on the same journey as our customers and know the obstacles they face with software deployment. Thinking like a software company keeps us fixated on innovative ways to help our customers overcome their deployment challenges.

Becoming an industry vanguard

We took the position early on that no matter what products or services a company chooses to market, their ability to become truly successful hinges on not trying to do too many things. Companies that stay focused and nimble can quickly react to market conditions, gain insights to understand what’s missing in the industry, and think outside the box to provide well-rounded solutions better than anyone else.

This strategy proved to be effective early in our history when we were a relatively unknown name in the hardware world. Yet MBX became a vanguard in the industry by providing a software tool that captured, collected, and organized data in a way that helped companies consolidate their hardware information. This differentiator helped us attract new customers and grow in a market dominated by multi-billion dollar hardware giants competing for the same business.

We knew this advantage wouldn’t last. The rest of the industry eventually caught up with their own type of portal technology. However, short of providing customers with quick program data points, no one, not even MBX, presented the information in a big picture way that was valuable for business intelligence.

Again thinking like a software company, we began developing the next generation of technology for hardware program orchestration. The challenge before our development team was to enable interactive data management and create a level of transparency that, together, could become the basis for making solid business decisions. In 2018 we introduced Hatch, and it’s become the latest disruptive force in the hardware industry.

The story doesn’t end here. But it gives you a flavor of how we think and what it’s like to work with MBX. When it comes to streamlining hardware delivery, we approach innovation head first and create effective customer solutions with a combination of services, software, and expertise. While others may find success in putting more resources into broader business interests, we’ll stick with the business we know we can knock out of the park.

MBX cares for our community

As a group, MBX is passionate about giving back to the community and helping organizations on a mission to enrich the lives of others. We see firsthand that when employees are given the opportunity to engage with charitable organizations it enriches their own lives, too. It was from these ideals that the MBX Cares philanthropy program launched in 2014. One of our employee perks is giving each full-time employee a paid day off annually to volunteer at an organization of their choice. We also organize volunteer opportunities for groups of volunteers, which is a great way for coworkers to connect when they don’t cross paths every day.

MBX Cares group volunteer days frequently provide helpers to organizations that rely on the community to support their mission. Some of these non-profits include Habitat for Humanity, Lambs Farm, Partners For Progress, Lake County Forest Preserve, Bernie’s Book Bank, Feed My Starving Children, PADS Lake County, and many more. MBX also sponsors participation in fundraising outings such as Race to Wrigley, Rugged Maniac, MS Walk, and more. To learn more about MBX Cares, check out our Facebook page to find fun photos of our volunteers in action.