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Isidor Buchmann, founder and CEO of Cadex Electronics Inc., established the company in 1980 when he recognized high failure rates of nickel-cadmium batteries and developed a battery analyzer that would exercise and rejuvenate these rechargeable batteries. He ran his business from a small room in his residence under the name Buchmann Enterprises Inc. After receiving the registered Cadex trademark, he changed the company name to Cadex Electronics Inc. in 1985. Cadex is derived from “CADmium-EXerciser.”
The first battery analyzer introduced in 1981 failed to achieve the anticipated market acceptance, and only a few of the Cadex 450 were sold. The setback did not discourage Isidor, and he started to develop a modular battery analyzer that could adapt to different battery types. The Cadex 550 battery analyzer sold reasonably well and became the workhorse for two-way radio batteries serving the public safety, railroad and oil industries. In 1983, the company moved from Buchmann’s home to a rented office and made a small profit.
In 1986, a company commissioned Cadex to develop and manufacture an intelligent fast-charger for the “End-of-Train Unit.” The device clamps to the last car of a freight train and substitutes for the caboose by providing vital operating information such as brake pressure and “car-in-motion” data. The project was a success and the design served as the foundation for several new Cadex products. These advances were in part made possible with research funds received from the Science Council of British Columbia and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).
The charger design led to the development of a fully programmable battery analyzer, and in 1991 the Cadex C4000 served a pivotal role in capturing the cell phone market. In 1995, the flagship Cadex C7000 Series, featuring intelligent battery adapters, established a new standard to which competitors’ products were compared. Double-digit revenue growth continued, and Cadex products were soon sold in over 100 countries.
As Cadex grew, the company needed to relocate to larger premises. Doubling the plant size with each move made the new location look empty and too large at first. Items that had been within arm’s reach now needed long-distance running to retrieve. Eventually, employees and equipment would fill in the space and the hum of activity replaced the echoing sound of an empty manufacturing plant. Isidor felt proud walking down the long corridors with offices to the left and right, filled with dedicated staff serving customers and taking orders. During this period of rapidly growing in the 1990s, Cadex received contracts from a U.S. defense organization and a leading medical company to supply battery chargers and analyzers for military and medical applications.
After a few more years of rapid growth, Cadex was in a financial position to build its own headquarters, and the company acquired one of the most scenic parcels of land in a new industrial park in Richmond, BC. Architects drew up plans and Isidor spent several months optimizing the floor layout and enhancing the appearance. The building includes a large two-storey glass octagon that serves as entrance lobby and accommodates reception and meeting rooms. A broad staircase leading to the second floor conveys an atmosphere of grandeur and space. Balconies facing the mighty Fraser River, on which the building is located, allow the staff to watch the swans frolicking in the waters and the ducks grazing on the riverbanks.
Cadex headquarters in Richmond, BC, Canada
With the wonders of nature at its door, Cadex offers its staff a tranquil alternative to the noise and hustle of crowded city streets.
Courtesy of Cadex
