Originally from India, Nagjibhai Sutariya came to the United States in 1969 to complete his Master’s degree at Michigan Tech. After graduating with an MS in Mechanical Engineering in 1971, he became a Mechanical Project Engineer at the Ford Corporation. While still working for Ford, Sutariya launched Saturn Electronics Corporation in 1985 with his two nephews, Perry and Ishvar.
Sutariya officially left Ford in 1992 in order to devote his time to propel Saturn Electronics forward as a leader in the field. Based in Romulus, MI, Saturn Electronics manufactures high-quality circuit boards for the global marketplace. Currently, Saturn Electronics is the only printed circuit board manufacturer in North America that has achieved worldwide quality certification TS16949.
Sutariya’s advice to engineering students is simple: “Go after what you want, and don’t ever quit. Keep going even after making mistakes.” The focus of Saturn Electronics has always been on quality and on learning from, but never repeating, mistakes. This philosophy has served both Sutariya and his company well. At present, Sutariya owns 50.5% of the company, which employs 140 workers. Posting $25 million in sales in 2006, Saturn Electronics is a debt-free company.
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Committed to helping the less fortunate, Nagjibhai Sutariya uses his business success to support the people in his native India. He was a major donor for a $2.2 million, state-of-the-art hospital completed in 2006. His contribution to this rural community goes beyond financial support, as he visits the hospital every six months to oversee its general operations. www.saturnelectronics.com
