Improving Business in the Wilmington Region

Protocase Exceeds Expectations in Ramp-Up of Wilmington Operations

Barely a year after arriving in Wilmington, Canadian manufacturer Protocase is well ahead of initial estimates for establishing its first U.S. presence. Protocase and its subsidiaries launched the first phase of their U.S. expansion in the Port City with 5,100-sq.-ft. of office space at downtown Wilmington’s Skyline Center. Since then, the company has moved quickly to hire, secure production space and begin serving U.S. clients.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Nova Scotia, Protocase is a global leader in rapid prototyping and manufacturing of electronic enclosures, sheet metal and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining for scientists, engineers and innovators. The company’s customers have included Apple, Google, Microsoft, NASA and Tesla as well as the aerospace and defense industries. The private company is renowned for its high-velocity mass customization, producing customized products in a matter of days. It has three divisions — ProtoSpace Mfg, ProtoMentum and 45Drives, an open-source data storage provider. Its founders, Doug Milburn and Steve Lilley, have become an important cog in the wheel of Wilmington’s business community.

“We’ve had a tremendous experience here,” said Doug Milburn, Co-Founder, Vice President and Chairman of the Board of Protocase. “It was a competitive recruitment process and ultimately Wilmington won because of the synergies between it and our corporate home in Sydney. We feel the support of the community and WBD was, and continues to be, imperative in the process.”

Wilmington Business Development has supported Protocase’s arrival in Greater Wilmington, connecting the company to legal counsel, local banks, real estate resources and workforce development expertise, including CFCC and UNCW.

“Our differentiator is often the trusted relationships we create with our clients,” said WBD Director of Business Development, Cliff Pyron. “Steve and Doug are an absolute joy to work with. We believe we’ve brought the right partners in and look forward to continuing to support their mid to long-term growth in Greater Wilmington.”

Hiring was well under way by the end of 2024 as the firm began building out its sales team and filling engineering positions. Participation in career fairs at CFCC and UNCW have helped to identify good candidates. Both Protocase and 45Drives are looking to recruit graduates and those leaving the military as prospective employees. New hires have undertaken initial training at the company’s headquarters in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
“Having three good sources of people who are entering the employment market,” Milburn said, “it’s just absolutely wonderful for us.”
Protocase officials have said the company plans to establish a manufacturing facility that could employ around 400 people in the Wilmington area in the coming years. Leadership notes that the company’s recent strong financial performance has helped fuel its ongoing growth.

Complementing Protocase’s fourth floor office space at Skyline Center, where it has a nine-year lease with the City of Wilmington, is 11,000 sq.-ft. of manufacturing space at Maritime North Business Park on U.S. Highway 421. The Wilmington production site, which is “food-grade” in its cleanliness, will focus initially on sub-assembly for 45Drives products heading for the company’s growing base of U.S. buyers. Company officials estimate that they are about three years ahead of schedule on their Wilmington expansion.

“The rapid progress of our Wilmington expansion speaks to the strength of our team and the demand for our solutions,” said president of Protocase Steve Lilley. “The facilities represent our commitment to serving U.S. customers more efficiently while continuing to innovate in precision manufacturing and data infrastructure.”

As a testament to its commitment to the market, 45 Drives will host its third annual Creators Summit on September 8th in Wilmington. The company plans to launch a new product at the event which promises to be the most expansive and community-driven edition to date.