Recognition leads to business possibilities

Sean Dotson, president of a niche manufacturing firm in Sarasota, has used inventor software from industry giant Autodesk for more than a decade.

That karma recently came back to reward Dotson when his company, RND Automation & Engineering, was named the 2010 Autodesk Inventor of the Year. RND was recognized for its ability to use Autodesk software to make modifications and alterations on digital prototyping projects. “We took the product and did some special things,” says Dotson.

The six-employee company's specialty, says Autodesk, is the ability to help clients manufacture and assemble products with less waste and more efficiency. Clients include a contact lens company, a hydraulic valve company and Venice-based insulated cup company Tervis Tumbler. RND was named Autodesk inventor of the month in March 2010, which made it one of 12 finalists for the annual award.

Dotson plans to go to Portland, Ore., later this year for an awards ceremony. The award also means more than a morale boost. Says Dotson: “We have gotten quite a bit of new potential business from it.”