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Green New Perspective

Turning Technical Precision Into Brand Power

Exploring how Snaptron's commitment to local manufacturing, innovation, and strategic marketing drives success in the tactile switch industry.

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About This Episode

There’s something deeply human about the way we interact with technology. We press a button, swipe a screen, flip a switch — and we expect it to respond with precision and reliability. Behind those moments of seamless interaction are tiny, unglamorous components that make it all possible. Snaptron, a manufacturer based in Windsor, Colorado, has quietly built its reputation as a leader in one of these invisible but essential parts: the tactile dome switch.

 

 

For more than 35 years, Snaptron has resisted the tide of offshoring, choosing instead to source steel in the United States and manufacture entirely in its Colorado facility.

Their customers are engineers, the people who build the products we all use but rarely think about, and Snaptron has become a trusted partner by combining high-quality products with agility and deep customer collaboration. They’re not just selling switches; they’re selling reliability, speed, and trust.

Our podcast guest is Nicole Kangos, Snaptron’s Director of Marketing. Nicole has an unconventional path into marketing, transitioning from international relations to agriculture and ultimately finding her way into the manufacturing sector.

She’s spent the last six years helping Snaptron rebrand, expand its digital presence, win industry awards, and communicate both the company’s innovation and its values.

This interview explores the intersection of marketing and technical innovation in manufacturing, examining the implications of digitizing an industry often perceived as slow-moving, and how a small American manufacturer can compete with industry giants to achieve success.

Interview with Nicole

Dunya Jovanovic: Could you give a quick introduction to Snaptron, explain the problem you’re solving for customers, and also tell us a bit about your career path into marketing?

Nicole Kangos: Snaptron manufactures tactile dome switches, a niche component in the tactile switch market. They’re small stainless-steel pieces that actuate when pressed. You’ve almost certainly used one today, whether in a remote control, medical device, or even an aviation cockpit panel. We serve engineers, mechanical designers, and product engineers across various industries worldwide. The company began more than 35 years ago, when our founder recognized that production was moving offshore and decided to do things differently.

He built the first dome switches in his garage, committed to keeping manufacturing local and maintaining high quality. Today, all our production still happens in Windsor, Colorado, and we source our steel in the U.S. What sets us apart is our breadth of products and our speed. We can deliver custom designs in four to six weeks, which is significantly faster than our competitors.

We’ve been called the “Kleenex” of dome switches, which is a comparison we welcome. As for me, I’ve been at Snaptron for six years, leading the marketing team. My path was unconventional. I studied international relations, then worked in agriculture before moving into manufacturing. I’ve found manufacturing to be a natural fit, with a strong community and a lot of synergy with my previous work.

DJ: Snaptron has been around for decades. How does that founding story still shape the way you approach innovation today?

NK: Engineering is still our guiding star. The company’s origins were about quality, customer focus, and doing the right thing, even if it wasn’t the easiest path. That continues today. If a customer’s project isn’t a good fit for our product, we’ll let them know. It’s about trust and long-term relationships. Often, those customers come back years later because they remember that honesty.

DJ: Snaptron won an Electra Award for innovation. Can you explain what those awards are and what the recognition meant?

NK: The Electra Awards are a prestigious event in the electronics industry, held annually in London. In 2023, we introduced our new surface-mount switch line, which had been in development for years. Traditional dome switches couldn’t be mounted using surface-mount technology, which is essential for modern manufacturing. Our engineers developed a way to integrate our switches directly onto printed circuit boards, saving customers significant time and cost. Winning and beating out much larger competitors like Panasonic was surreal. I was the only representative from Snaptron in London, surrounded by big teams from global giants. For a small American manufacturer, it was a proud moment that validated years of research and development.

DJ: You’ve even built your own testing equipment, like the Sapphire machine. Why was it necessary to design something in-house?

NK: Because we’re such a niche manufacturer, off-the-shelf equipment doesn’t always meet our needs. The Sapphire machine, now in its third iteration, measures tactile feedback — specifically, the amount of force required to press a switch and the sensation it produces. That’s critical for applications like military radios, where a soldier wearing gloves still needs to feel the tactile sensation of the click. We use it internally for quality control, but we also sell it to customers so they can validate their assemblies. It gives them confidence that the final product feels the way it should.

DJ: Manufacturing is often seen as slow to adapt. How do you maintain agility in product development?

NK: Our size is an advantage. We typically launch three or four new products per year, which is relatively fast for the manufacturing industry. Our engineers work across disciplines, decision-making is quick, and leadership is accessible. If we need a new material or machine, we can move on it the same day. That speed enables us to compete with larger players.

DJ: You led Snaptron’s first rebrand in decades. What was the long-term impact?

NK: The rebrand was about aligning our strong reputation with our image. Our brand name was already so well known that it was practically synonymous with dome switches. But visually, the brand didn’t reflect that strength. Following the rebrand, we experienced an immediate increase in direct traffic to our website, which remains our primary source of leads. It proved that even in manufacturing, brand matters.

DJ: Marketing technical products can be challenging. How do you approach it?

NK: I spend a lot of time listening to sales teams, engineers, and customers. I sit in on calls, collect pain points, and translate that into content and messaging. Every technical piece we produce goes through engineering review to ensure accuracy. We’ve also started leveraging AI to speed up content creation. We already have deep expertise in-house, and AI helps us scale it into customer-facing materials more efficiently.

DJ: You emphasize domestic sourcing and production. How does that become part of the brand story?
NK: It signals stability and quality. Our U.S.-based supply chain enables us to move quickly, which is crucial for engineers working on tight timelines. We prominently feature “Made in the USA” across our marketing materials because it resonates with customers who value reliability and trust.

DJ: Many manufacturers lag digitally. How did Snaptron build a strong online presence without a huge budget?

NK: We started small. When I joined, the fundamentals were in place: a strong website, for example, but we weren’t yet fully digital. My first big push was content: getting the wealth of internal knowledge out to customers. This involved publishing guides, demos, and responding to questions on forums like Reddit. We met customers where they already were, adapting content to each channel. Over time, our website became the number one driver of the pipeline.

DJ: What lessons have you learned about building internal marketing support?

NK: Marketing fails in isolation. It requires buy-in from engineering, sales, procurement — everyone. Building trust internally ensures your initiatives are understood and supported. For me, that meant that even as a younger director, when I bring an idea forward, it’s taken seriously because I’ve invested in those relationships.

DJ: You export widely, and new European carbon reporting rules are coming online. How are you adapting, and how do you communicate sustainability?
NK: A few years ago, a German prospect’s first question was about our environmental impact. That was a wake-up call. We’d been reducing emissions and recycling internally, but hadn’t discussed it publicly. With the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, compliance became critical. We partnered with experts to measure our carbon footprint, created a sustainability report, and now integrate that data into our messaging. Customers appreciate the transparency.

DJ: With global expansion, how do you adapt messaging for international markets while staying true to your identity?

NK: We invest in professional translation for our website and technical materials, so engineers in Europe and Asia receive accurate, localized information. We also tailor our messaging to regional priorities — such as sustainability in Europe, for instance. We have made our CAD files available globally, allowing engineers to integrate our parts directly into their designs.

DJ: Snaptron has partnered with racecar driver and engineer Sabré Cook, as well as universities like the Colorado School of Mines. What do these partnerships say about the company’s culture?

NK: They reflect our values. Sabré Cook is both a mechanical engineer and a pioneering female driver, and her audience overlaps with ours. The partnership provided us with a way to connect with engineers through racing, which is already an integral part of our culture, and our owners are passionate about motorsports. We also prioritize education. Engaging with universities helps us raise awareness about careers in manufacturing and support the next generation of engineers.

DJ: Many people don’t see manufacturing as innovative in marketing. Do you think perceptions are changing?
NK: Definitely. There’s so much room for creativity. Influencer marketing, for example, is commonplace in consumer markets but still new in manufacturing. We’ve experimented with both high-profile figures, such as race car drivers, and technical YouTubers who build products live. Engineers watch those videos, and it’s a direct way to reach them.

DJ: Looking more broadly, what do you see as the most significant challenges and opportunities for U.S. manufacturing marketing in the next five years?

NK: Talent is the biggest challenge. Small and medium-sized manufacturers aren’t widely recognized, which makes it challenging to attract engineers, skilled labor, and marketers. Outreach to universities is key. At the same time, digitization and AI are creating opportunities. AI can make smaller teams more efficient, which may help bridge labor gaps.

 

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