ACE Celebrates 35 Years of Expertise, Innovation, & Partnerships

Thirty-five years ago, ACE was founded by three engineers with a vision for building something different — a company grounded in technical excellence, trusted relationships, and a commitment to delivering real customer value. Looking back today, I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come and appreciative of the leaders who had the foresight to start the company and everyone who has helped make ACE what it is today.

What began in 1991 as a small engineering firm has grown into a nationwide organization with more than 200 engineers and support professionals across nine locations. Over the years, we’ve supported a wide range of industries including life sciences, food and beverage, chemical, oil and gas, power generation, metals, utilities, and many more. While the industries may change over time, our approach has always remained the same: listen carefully, solve problems thoughtfully, and build solutions that help our customers succeed long-term.

One of the things that makes ACE unique is the wide range of solutions we provide. Our teams work across the full project lifecycle, from front-end engineering and design through implementation, commissioning, validation support, and ongoing operational services. More importantly, we work as partners. In many cases, our engineers become an extension of our customers’ teams, helping them navigate evolving operational demands, workforce challenges, and increasingly complex technologies.

We’ve also worked hard to stay at the forefront of industrial automation and digital transformation. Our partnerships with leading PLC, DCS, HMI, SCADA, MES, and OT cybersecurity providers allow us to bring the latest technologies and best practices to our customers. At the same time, our independence has always been important to us. It means we can focus on recommending the right solution for the customer rather than the solution being tied to a particular vendor.

At the core of ACE, and what has always truly defined us, is our people.

ACE has always been a company built by a team of talented and dedicated experts who care deeply about their work and about each other. We’ve created a culture centered around mentorship, collaboration, continuous learning, and respect. The experience and institutional knowledge our senior engineers bring, combined with the fresh perspectives and energy of newer team members, have helped us build deep technical expertise and long-lasting relationships with customers and partners alike.

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also looking ahead. As technology and industry continue to evolve, so will ACE. We remain committed to investing in our people, strengthening partnerships, exploring new tools, and helping customers prepare for the future with scalable, reliable, and innovative solutions.

To our employees, customers, and partners: thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and your support over the past 35 years. We would not be here without you, and we’re excited about what we’ll accomplish together in the years ahead.

President, Applied Control Engineering