About Us
About US – EX31 Automation Company Virginia – Founder Owned & Operated
Located in the greater Richmond Virginia area, EX31 Automation company Virginia is a founder-operated family business committed to providing superior quality factory automation solutions for every automation challenge your business faces. Founded in 2021 by Joseph Garthaffner, we are pleased to offer our team’s more than 45 years of combined factory automation company Virginia experience to meet the wide range of automation needs our clients experience across multiple industries.
Our specialties include custom machine creation, vision and inspection, integration, continuous motion machinery, and white paper designs.
At EX31 Automation company Virginia, we are passionate about using our talents to create world-class factory automation solutions to improve productivity, safety, and quality of work for all of our clients.
Creating Custom Factory Automation Solutions for Every Industry
At EX31 Automation company Virginia, we believe no factory automation need is too challenging. That’s why we have created a custom factory automation company providing world-class solutions at fair and honest rates for every client.
We created this company to utilize the wisdom, ability, and expertise God has given us to create prosperity in our industry. The name for EX31 Automation comes from Exodus 31:3, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, ability, and expertise in all manner of craftsmanship.” We are passionate about putting our God-given talents and more than 45 years combined experience to work creating custom factory automation Virginia solutions to help your company succeed. Contact our Virginia based team today to see how we can put our creative talents and experience to work for your business!
Offering Solutions to Factory Automation Clients
We understand it can be difficult to find the best solutions for your factory automation needs, that’s why we’re here to help. Our knowledgeable staff of mechanical and electrical engineers are trained in the latest technologies and resources available to provide the most practical solutions for even your most challenging needs. From reverse engineering, retrofits, diagnostics, and machinery rebuilds, to custom machine creation, continuous motion machinery and vision and inspection solutions our team can find a solution for you.
Our Mission and Core Values
At EX31 Automation, our mission to deliver the highest quality solutions for all of your factory automation needs are driven by our commitment to excellence and integrity in every interaction. At the heart of this mission are our core values:
Operating in Honesty and Integrity – We’ll treat you fairly and with respect, how we would want to be treated.
Listen First – We take time to listen and address all our client’s concerns throughout our factory automation solutions process.
Transparent Communication with our Clients and Vendors – We may not always have all the answers, but we know where to find them.
Working as a Team – We support our client’s needs with every resource available to us. From colleagues to consultants to vendors, we have the expertise available to find the right solution for you.
Safeguarding all Proprietary Information – We take every precaution to ensure your proprietary information is safe with us.
Deliver Excellence – Every machine that leaves our facility will be designed and assembled with precision and excellence worthy of representing our God-given talents.
The EX31 Automation Experience | What Sets Us Apart?
We don’t just build machines. We create solutions, improve quality of work, and provide the resources to help your company succeed through factory automation. EX31 Automation company Virginia is committed to providing quality solutions and excellent service. Call now or fill out our contact form!
Meet the Team
At the heart of our company is a talented team of individuals who are passionate about what they do and finding the right factory automation solutions for your business.
Joseph (Joey) Garthaffner | Owner & Principal Mechanical Engineer
Born and raised in Chesterfield Virginia, Joey comes from a legacy of engineering excellence and has an innate passion for all things mechanical. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Engineering, his specialty has always lied in continuous motion machinery and custom factory automation solutions. With nearly twenty years of professional experience and a lifetime of practical skill/practice, Joey has the wisdom, abilities, and expertise to create the top solutions for your business’s factory automation needs.
Terri Garthaffner | Owner, Accounting & Administration
Behind the scenes is a team member you’ll rarely hear from. A Texas native, Terri grew up mostly in northern Virginia and moved to the Richmond Virginia area in 2011. With a love for all things home and family, she’s a full-time homeschool mom and works to keep the administrative operations (& Joey) running smoothly. Those chocolates in the office? Her idea… You’re welcome!
Rodrigo De Leon | Mechanical Engineer
Rodrigo De Leon is a Mechanical Engineer at EX31 Automation. Inspired by his grandfather, a respected engineer who oversaw one of Guatemala’s largest ports, Rodrigo developed an early passion for engineering through his love of soccer and dirt biking. These activities sparked his curiosity about motion, control, and mechanical dynamics. That curiosity led him to the VCU College of Engineering, where he built a strong foundation in machine design and graduated summa cum laude. Today, Rodrigo applies that same precision and creativity to industrial automation, specializing in continuous-motion machinery, mechatronic systems, and vision applications.
Noah Batterson | Mechanical Engineer
Noah Batterson is a Virginia native with a passion for mechanical systems. He has built and worked around mechanical projects his entire life. Noah holds a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University. These degrees have given him the ability to incorporate an analytical eye into his mechanical intuition. He has led multiple large scale projects and is involved with customers in a wide range of industries. Noah is currently an engineer in training (EIT), on track to test for the PE in machine design and materials.
Jacob Alachnowicz | Electrical Engineer
Jacob is a lifelong learner. From history and literature to science and technology, his interests range wide, but ultimately settled on electrical engineering which he studied at Virginia Commonwealth University. Jacob’s skills lie in the controls side of factory automation. Proficient in a variety of PLCs, Jacob is always looking for another programming challenge and searches for new ways to push the electrical department at EX31 Automation.
Tony Nieves | Automation Assembly Manager
Tony Nieves is a Richmond Virginia local, raised in Prince George Virginia; he has more than twenty-five years’ experience in the print production industry specializing in production and machine repair. With an aptitude for all things mechanical and a smile on his face, Tony keeps the assemblies in our shop moving forward. Tony also studied pastoral studies at Lee University, is a bi-vocational pastor at a church in Hopewell Virginia, and in his spare time Tony enjoys instructing Jiu Jitsu classes at his local martial arts school.
What We Offer
Custom Machine Creation
One size fits some, not all. Have process that you want to increase output? We can guide you down the complex road of a balanced automation investment path.
Vision & Inspection
Our lineup includes both traditional vision systems as well as 3 dimensional scanning technology.
Continuous Motion Machinery
Our primary expertise is in continuous motion machinery. This technology allows us to manufacture your product in the +1000 ppm ranges.
Reverse Engineering
Have a custom machine no longer supported by its OEM? We provide documentation services that will allow you to extend the useful life of your asset.
Retrofits & Diagnostics
Already have machinery in place? We work with you and your technical team to make your production rates world class. Root cause problem solving seems to be a lost art in the machinery world, but rest assured that the EX31 team has the skills to fix, repair, or improve most any machine.
Machinery Rebuilds
Our expertise in electro-mechanical machinery can assist you minor to major machinery overhauls and get back your original equipment performance.
Machinery Integrator
Our custom building expertise also lends itself to providing world class machine integration services. We connect systems on mechanical, controls,
Electrical Panel Design
Panels are built to order and configured to the application. Our schematics are based on the NFPA standard. UL certification is available upon request. We utilize a variety of brands for our components to tailor it to your factory standard.
PLC Controls
We design and program on a variety of different PLC platforms including: Allen Bradley, Siemens, and Horner OCS. Other platforms available upon request.
At EX31 Automation company Virginia, factory automation is our passion. From small beginnings to large system design projects, we always strive to deliver wisdom, ability, and expertise in every aspect of our project commitments. Our goal is to always bring value to every aspect of machine creation and upgrades. Call us today or fill our out contact form and let’s get started.
Key Services we provide
Our customers range from middle of nowhere small shop manufacturers to large scale mega corporations. We understand that one size does not fit all, and we strive to help our customers build solutions that not only meet or exceed performance expectations but are also budget friendly. Our team has a passion for factory automation, and we understand that a win for you on achieving your professional goals means a win for your business or employer. This to us is a key driver to earning your respect as a professional and making long term positive impact to not only the businesses we serve but the people in them working every day. Nothing is worse than a factory automation project that under performs. In the custom automation machinery builders of the world, this is a all to common problem, usually rooted in un-defined expectations. At the end of the day, we never compromise on quality of what we deliver. Our commitment to you is to deliver every solution with Wisdom, Ability, and Expertise.