May 1, 2019 By Donna De Vico, Sales & Marketing Director, Zero Surge Inc.
Being a “made in the USA” manufacturer, we put much thought and effort into using US sourced components and vendors. We first try to use local merchants, depending upon the item or service, and then branch out from there.
When we recently celebrated Zero Surge’s 30th Anniversary, we wanted to support the borough of Flemington due to our involvement with the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce and HackHunterdon committee. We chose the Stangl Factory for the party venue because we had attended several events there and liked the vibe and space. It accommodated our live band and group of over 70 vendors, customers, employees, business associates, friends, and family comfortably. The catering menu provided by Blue Fish Grill offered a wide variety of food that pleased all palates, and they used a local baker to make a creative, delicious cake for dessert. Our drink requirements were planned with Little Brothers Beverage Outlet who provided knowledgeable and helpful service.
When considering giveaways, we chose a NJ advertising specialties company that we had come across through our membership in the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), another great source to support NJ business. We ordered magnets in the shape of NJ promoting our products being made in NJ since 1989. The magnets were manufactured in a plant in Missouri so that fulfilled our “made in the USA” requirement. Another item we ordered was water bottles imprinted with our logo. They were also manufactured and imprinted in the USA (in NY).
It’s not always easy to find suppliers in the US and you can often find much less expensive items manufactured outside the country, but we are committed to domestic sourcing. Our company was founded on making a superior product that was manufactured in the US under strict quality control processes. Zero Surge Inc. began as the brainchild of Flemington resident and electrical engineer, J. Rudy Harford, in his quest to stop computer equipment from failing due to electrical surge damage. By his ability to design, build, and test products, Zero Surge was incorporated on March 31, 1989. Mr. Harford’s work produced over 37 patents and many industry awards.
Many people are surprised to learn that Zero Surge has been manufacturing in Hunterdon County for over 30 years. Tucked away in a converted agriculture building on Rt. 12 in Frenchtown, we manufacture surge protection products that keep business and residential electronics fully protected from electrical surges. We supply our products to some of the most well-known entities in the US including Wendy’s, Merck, Boeing, IBM, Princeton University, NJ State Police, and the FBI as well as thousands of small businesses and homeowners.
When Rudy Harford decided to retire in 2014, he sold the company to a local engineer, James Minadeo, with the agreement that the business would stay in Hunterdon County and follow the same processes and testing protocols that built the brand. With Jim at the helm and an investment in infrastructure and marketing efforts, Zero Surge is growing. Jim said, “As the owner for the past five years, I have been blessed to have a great group of employees that have supported me from the first day Rudy handed over the keys. It is rare that a company stays in business for 30 years. Statistics show that a small business has only a 20% chance of surviving 15 years! We must be doing something correctly.”
In the 30-year company history, there have been over 100 employees and 200 suppliers that have been involved in making Zero Surge products. It has sold over 100,000 units to 6000+ customers. With many new and exciting projects on the horizon, the company looks forward to the next 30 years of manufacturing in the USA. For more information on Zero Surge products for business or home, visit ZeroSurge.com.