With a steadfast commitment to integrity and excellence, we at Lafayette Engineering pride ourselves on delivering honest, effective solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients. Our expertise spans the realms of high-speed case sortation and comprehensive controls for conveyor systems, blending the technical prowess of larger firms with the personalized, adaptable service of a dedicated team. Founded and led by Bruce Robbins, our company has established itself as a trusted partner in industrial integration, striving to not only meet but exceed expectations in every project we undertake.
1989
Lafayette Engineering was founded in 1989 by Bruce and Beth Robbins. They based their small controls company out of Lexington Kentucky. We started with humble beginnings and just a few employees in a strip mall office space, but with a big dream.
That same year, our founder Bruce was hustling to make his dream a reality and spent most of the day on the phone with his biggest potential customer to date. Just as he closed the sale (the first major controls job of his career) a nurse interrupted with the news that his second son, Blake, would be delivered soon. Ironically that same son would go on to become a controls engineer as well, and take over the majority of control work for this customer.
That same year, our founder Bruce was hustling to make his dream a reality and spent most of the day on the phone with his biggest potential customer to date. Just as he closed the sale (the first major controls job of his career) a nurse interrupted with the news that his second son, Blake, would be delivered soon. Ironically that same son would go on to become a controls engineer as well, and take over the majority of control work for this customer.
1990
Though Lexington was a great place to grow business-wise, by 1990 Beth and Bruce made the bold choice to relocate Lafayette Engineering to their hometown of Danville Kentucky in order to keep their company as family oriented as possible. This made it easier for them to raise their three sons while growing and expanding the business. Today, all of their children and several siblings work together and play a crucial role in LEI’s success.
1993
Creation and Installation of first Conveyor Works program into the material handling industry.
2000
All through the 90’s LEI continued to grow and become a major player in control system engineering. By the year 2000 LEI had doubled in size and upgraded office spaces. This new space came with the opportunity to start our own Panel Fabrication Shop and Control Cabinet Assembly area.
2012
In 2012 we upgraded office locations again. LEI went from a crammed six thousand sqft office to a much needed 60k sqft converted warehouse. With the extra space, we assembled a test loop so that we can test controls before they go to the job site, test the program before implementing on site, test new products, and just general learning tools. It also allowed for much more office space, as well as a bigger panel shop that can accommodate building four large enclosures at one time including storage.
2013
In 2013, a significant milestone was achieved with the establishment of Southern Conveyor, a sister company to LEI. This venture was strategically formed to collaborate closely with Hytrol Conveyor, focusing on mechanical concepting and design integration. Over the years, Southern Conveyor has excelled in its domain, emerging as a leading integrator for Hytrol. Its remarkable growth and success have positioned it as one of the most valuable assets in our portfolio.
2015
In the time since LEI’s establishment we’ve worked hard to maintain a turnkey service. We can
give each customer a “one stop shop” experience, and as of 2015 that includes travel. Lafayette
Transit was developed and implemented specifically to cut out travel time for US to get to YOU.
Before, we were at the mercy of airport schedules and driving times. At the present, we can
dispatch workers and equipment to you immediately. This has absolutely changed the culture of
our customer relationships. Something that may have taken up to one week, can now be completed
in one day, ultimately giving us more control over the quality of jobs, and a more streamlined
experience for our customers.
2017
Lafayette Engineering’s first step to becoming nationwide. In august of 2017 we opened our first branch in the greater Los Angeles area. We Have a dedicated west coast team who works closely with our other branches to serve our customer base.
Additionally in 2017, LEI acquired another sister company, Century Conveyor Systems out of New Jersey. This gave us the advantage of being “east-west-and everywhere in between”. Anywhere in the U.S., we are able to provide local services quickly and efficiently.
2022
In 2022 LEI gained the title of manufacturer when we introduced our first patented product, the Lafayette Magnetic Sortation (LMS). This was a longtime dream brought to life by our R&D team. Since the introduction of LMS we have sold, installed, and support over 250 switches. Visit our products page for more information, and additional products.
