Having been at this location on Wilbur Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, ID since 1999, the expansion was needed to accommodate the growth of units and revenue. On August 15, 2008, Esterline Advanced Input Systems opened its doors to the local community, workers and their families to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. Our company was founded by John Overby and Steven Meyer in 1978, formerly known as Advanced Input Devices.  The first products produced included full-travel keyboards for the IBM PC Junior and membrane circuits for a myriad of applications.  Advanced Input Systems grew from making basic full-travel and membrane keyboards by adding a PCB fabrication facility and injection molding capability in the 1980’s.  The 1990’s brought about offshore sourcing, elastomer compounding and molding, SMT placement and soldering, and laser cutting competencies.  The focus was custom input devices which attracted many Fortune 500 companies and the US Military.  Esterline Technologies purchased Advanced Input Devices in 1999, capping off a very successful decade of increasingly diverse yet complex input devices and control products.

Under the guidance of Esterline Technologies, Advanced Input Systems aligned with other user interface and input technology companies owned by Esterline to form the Interface Technologies Group.  Capitalizing on the breadth of Esterline competencies, Advanced Input Systems has been able to incorporate the necessary infrastructure to be a world-class provider of input devices such as ERP, CRM, Lean, IT (Sharepoint), and much more to ensure its customers receive the best tools to manufacture highly complex products. 

Along the way, a few standard products have spawned more designs and interest for the custom OEM products traditionally designed and manufactured by Advanced Input Systems.  The Mobile Vehicle Lighting Switch (MVLS), Grizzly Ruggedized Keyboard, and Medigenic Keyboards are the cornerstone products for our Standard Products Group. Providing gaming user interface products has been another way to further diversify into vertical markets that can utilize the experience Advanced Input Systems has to offer. Our integrated solutions provide usability, high-reliability, backlighting, and new technologies such as OLEDs and sensor technologies to yield smart keyboards.

The official grand opening for the expanded factory will be held on June 30th, 2010.  We look forward to having customers join us in celebrating the welcomed addition to our facility.  If you have interest in attending, please contact us at ais.sales@esterline.com