TCIC Announces New Ownership, Product Line and Services

Summary

Minneapolis-based Twin Cities Industrial Control (TCIC), a premier industrial automation and wireless communications product and services provider for the U.S., announces new ownership, an additional product line and enhanced services.

Twenty-year automation industry veteran Christine Frank is the new owner of TCIC. For the past 9 years, she has been focused on helping companies bridge Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems, delivering proven results related to the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0.

Frank has an extensive knowledge of industrial control technologies such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), OPC UA, SCADA hardware and software, industrial fieldbuses and Ethernet networks, and machine and process safety equipment and sensors. She was most recently the Global Director of Channels for DataRPM, a Progress company. Prior to that she was the Director of Worldwide IoT Industry Partnerships with HP Enterprise.
 

TCIC knows wireless

Frank takes the reins from former owner and founder John Rudick, who will remain with the company for the next year. TCIC started as a highly technical industrial automation and wireless communications distributor serving customers in the U.S. Midwest and has since grown to boast clients throughout North America. The company’s expertise with cellular modems, radio path analysis and site surveys and RF spectral analysis have helped it grow into a trusted partner.

“I may be the new owner of TCIC, but we are continuing a journey that began 27 years ago,” said Frank. “John built a legacy of customer service and expertise in the areas of industrial automation and wireless communications. I have more than 20 years’ experience with industrial controls and process automation, with my most recent focus being on IIOT and Industry 4.0 technologies. I look forward to working with TCIC clients to help them navigate an increasingly dynamic industrial marketplace.”

TCIC is an expert in wireless communications and devices of all types, as well as control and monitoring hardware, network devices and control components. Whether its cabling, control panels, IP cameras, industrial radios and gateways, IIoT sensors or anything else needed to enable and optimize operations, TCIC partners with reputable manufacturers to ensure that its customers are getting the highest-quality solutions. TCIC representatives recommend and source high-quality products from more than 30 industrial automation suppliers. The newest supplier is Murr Elektronik Products, makers of power supplies, cabling, I/O systems and connection technology.
 

Helps optimize IIoT data gathering

“We know you need reliable communications and integrated information to help drive efficiency and productivity in your plant,” said Frank. “We know legacy systems continue to function, but you need to know in real-time what is happening in your production processes. And we also know how IIoT technology, wireless communications and efficient data collection can help.”

TCIC customers turn to the company for more than just parts. TCIC has extensive experience with wireless communication system design, installation and optimization, enabling its technicians to optimize IIoT data gathering and remote monitoring and control applications. TCIC services include radio path analysis and site surveys, FCC licensing coordination and application assistance, RF spectral analysis and wireless communications training.

“Our plan is to take the company to the next level by adding more value-added services,” said Frank. “Bridging the worlds of IT and OT, whether that's through wireless communications or controls, can really help people move toward digital transformation and step into Industry 4.0. TCIC has been helping its customers do that for years—even though we didn't call it that in the past. So, whether customers are looking for hardware, software or services to improve productivity or adapt to a changing market, TCIC will be there to help.”