Battle Ground tech manufacturer Signal Hound is expanding its headquarters to accommodate more production space.
The move comes about 18 months after the company was acquired by now-CEO Harrison Osbourn and Bridgehouse Capital.
“This is an exciting milestone in the company’s history, and all of this is made possible by our growth trajectory,” said Osbourn in a written statement. “The added space will serve us well as we continue to add to our team and product portfolio.”
Signal Hound makes spectrum analyzers and other products that are used to detect and identify radio signals. Customers include both commercial and government entities. On the commercial side, the products are used in testing and research and development. For example, a cell phone could be tested to see if it is operating within the frequency that regulations require, said Clint Burgess, marketing director for Signal Hound.
The company is in the same field as local tech giant Tektronix, but Burgess said Signal Hound differs from its bigger rival by making products that are designed for specific uses, compatible with all computer systems and priced lower.
This price difference while maintaining quality is driving the company’s growth.
“Customers (might) have a couple hundred thousand dollars to outfit a lab. You can buy two pieces of gear or these 10,” he said. “Some of the larger facilities (we work with) engineers have to schedule time on equipment to do work. One of the things we push is you can get 12 of these on the line and then keep everyone working forward and get to market faster.”
Signal Hound has 30 employees. Five have been added in the last 18 months and another six or so are expected to be added this year, said Burgess. The company will likely hire for engineering, support and assembly. On the assembly side, they look for skills like soldering.
The company took over the remaining 11,000 square feet of its current headquarters and expects to add production as well as shipping and storage.
This expansion has been self-funded, said Burgess. The company’s building is owned by founder Bruce Devine.
Devine founded Signal Hound in 1996 under the name Test Equipment Plus. It was a test equipment repair shop and had started building its own products. By 2010 the company had dropped repairs and pivoted fully to its own products under the name Signal Hound, said Burgess.
In mid 2022, Osbourn bought the company.
