Finding a need and meeting it is the formula for success for just about any business, and DISCO32‘s founder and president, Joshua Bronson has done exactly that. His twenty years of experience with military communications equipment demonstrated to him the importance of compatibility and ease of operation necessary in high stress environments, and while he was still in the service, he decided to start his own company to create products that would address those needs.
“I saw that there was a need for accessories, specifically on the end-user side, because I was always lacking the wire that I needed to connect these two widgets,” says Bronson. “I really needed to connect these two things together to accomplish my mission, but I couldn’t do it. And, I was so lowly on the totem pole that I couldn’t talk to somebody to get it, so I really thought there needed to be a place where a professional could go, and just buy professional grade widgets to hook things together, and that’s just kind of where the company came from.”
Entrepreneurship from Experience
From a spare room in his home, Bronson used his self-taught abilities to begin designing and manufacturing apparatuses that would improve the interoperability and performance of two-way communication systems and began selling his products through Facebook Marketplace. Today, DISCO32, named after a Long Range Surveillance team, has grown to ten employees and operates from a 5,000 square-foot facility. The company designs and manufactures push-to-talk systems, antennas, radio adapters, speaker microphones, and integration accessories that cater to law enforcement, federal agencies, emergency response teams, and other professionals and consumers, across the country and even around the world. Continuous product development has led to patented inventions that help advance compatibility and efficiency for customers. They also act as distributors for several major communications equipment manufacturers, with that activity accounting for about 30 percent of their total business.
Bronson works to expand America’s role in the manufacturing industry, and uses domestic suppliers wherever possible for his components, although the actual connectors for radios made overseas generally must be purchased from those offshore suppliers.
Supporting Military Needs
Because of his own military background, Bronson initially thought his main market would be in that sector, but he quickly found that his ability to provide customized solutions for smaller clients was more in demand by police and other departments needing dependable, well-designed accessories. His experience in the service gives him the kind of first-hand knowledge necessary to understand the needs of real-world users of his products when lives can depend on accurate, trouble-free communications. The largest companies that supply the military are not able or willing to service the needs of the smaller agencies with smaller budgets that require specialized equipment, and that is where DISCO32 excels. “We’re trying to give them exactly what they need to accomplish their tasks,” he says, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach of larger manufacturers.
He credits the fact that he was a non-commissioned infantry soldier who had to wear many hats while in the military with giving him the broad-based, real-world understanding of the issues that needed solutions. He says, “I was just a grunt. You basically get this skill set when you’re in the military that you don’t even realize. I really understand the human dynamics of being cold, tired, lonely, scared, and trying to work with this equipment. I think that’s what really gives me the edge.”
Cautious but Optimistic
Continued controlled expansion for DISCO32 is on Bronson’s agenda going forward, as he already has the land and space to create a larger, purpose-built manufacturing facility when it is needed. As a sole proprietor with only his own investment, he has to be careful not to try to grow the business more quickly than he can afford to. “I am the sole decision-maker,” he says, “so if something really good pops up that makes really good sense for us to do some teaming or a partnership, or something, I’d definitely hop on it. I want to make sure we’re making the correct decisions before we jump into anything, but I’m open to everything.”
“I know we’re going to do it. It’s just going to take us some time. I know the market is there. This is a billion dollar market, and there are not that many Americans in it. I’m always looking for other American partners to work with, because I do think it’s a very serious problem,” he says. The foreign dominance of such an important matter as law enforcement and first responder communication is something he is trying to remedy after production had been moved offshore over the years. Further, he feels that the radio manufacturers often treat accessories and connectivity matters as afterthoughts, rather than the vital pieces of the puzzle that they are.
DISCO32 is staying at the forefront of development in their field by incorporating automated 3D printing and standard injection molding technology. They are creating products to address the ever-changing advancements in the communications industry and with Bronson’s hands-on experience with the needs of his customers, he is in a perfect position for continued success and expansion of his products.
