Queen City Engineering & Design: A Family-Driven Journey of Innovation and Growth

From a spare bedroom office to a thriving 7,000 square-foot warehouse, Queen City Engineering & Design has built its success on innovation, resilience, and community support. What began as a husband-and-wife operation now stands as a leader in custom manufacturing solutions, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.

Located in Concord, NC, Queen City Engineering & Design was founded in 2015 by Rex and Ashley Carriker. They offer comprehensive engineering and manufacturing services, providing turnkey solutions from design to production to deliver practical, real-world solutions for modern manufacturing needs.

Growth and Challenges: From Home Office to First Real Equipment

Like many family-owned businesses, Queen City Engineering & Design began in their home, with a spare bedroom as their office next to the nursery and their garage serving as the shop floor. For small business owners, a major hurdle is often the decision to lease a dedicated space, but for Rex and Ashley Carriker, this commitment was essential to invest in the equipment needed to grow their company.
Until then, Rex had been using his engineering degree from NC State University to design solutions for clients. However, he recognized that producing the designs in-house would significantly boost their cash flow. As they expanded their services, Rex found himself juggling multiple roles within the business and realized he needed additional support.

At the time, Ashley was an asset manager, so when she joined the company, she took over the operational side of the business, taking a lot of pressure off Rex. With a new baby at home, and husband and wife both invested in the business, they were ready to grow their business. In March of 2020, they had recorded their best month yet.

Then COVID-19 hit, and like so many companies, business came to a standstill.

A Critical Turning Point: Adapting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

While navigating their next steps during the pandemic, Rex and Ashley learned that Mecklenburg County DSS needed barriers for their LTV vans, which transport elderly citizens to appointments but had seen reduced use due to COVID concerns. Rex quickly designed and installed a custom solution, getting the vehicles back in service in no time.

They both recall having a lightbulb moment…if Mecklenburg County needed this, then other counties probably did as well. So, with a baby on one knee, and a phone in the other, Ashley started making sales calls across North Carolina. Within 2 days, they had customers all over the state.

CK Rider had been wanting a similar barrier for years to protect their drivers. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funded these upfits and Queen City’s workload continued to expand.

“As a small company, we would do things no one else would do and I think that really helped us,” said Rex. “We could customize our barriers and install them, and we could do it quickly, which was what was needed at the time.”

Expanding Solutions: From Public Transport to Healthcare

They also worked with Providence Day School to install barriers in between student and teacher desks that allowed them to be the first school in Charlotte that reopened after the pandemic began.
Eventually the need for barriers expanded to medical facilities and Queen City secured contracts with the Atrium Health Emergency Department and the Southpark Emergency Room. Those installations helped protect essential workers, while continuing to provide care for patients who needed it.

“We would not have had these opportunities and been able to implement them so quickly if we didn’t have the staff on hand who could both create and manufacture these products,” said Rex.

Strategic Growth and Guidance: Harnessing the Power of Economic Gardening

After this pivot in their business, Rex and Ashley realized they needed some guidance on how to continue to invest in their business and control the growth they were experiencing.

They learned about the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EPDNC)’s Economic Gardening program and decided to apply. The program focuses on supporting local stage 2 growth companies with strategic information and frameworks to grow jobs locally.

Through the program, they had someone to help them with research, market analysis, and other things that helped validate ideas they had that resulted in a better path forward for their business.

“We didn’t have the resources or the time to do the research the EPDNC helped us with,” said Rex. “We couldn’t afford to make costly mistakes.”

Through that program, they also met and worked with Stephanie Burleson, Cabarrus EDC’s Program Manager. She recalls that working with them on Economic Gardening was one of the first things she did after joining the EDC team. She reconnected with them recently to check in to see how they were doing two years after participating in the program.

It was great for her to see how their participation has impacted the manufacturing side of their business and hear about their plans for the future. They are also now scheduled to participate in Round 2 of the program to evaluate how they can grow the engineering side of their business.

The Economic Gardening program was also easy for them to fit into their schedules with virtual calls that they would fit into their busy schedule. The people they worked with were patient and helped them gain valuable insights into their business model.

Queen City has also benefited from the growth within the manufacturing community in Cabarrus County. They recently secured a contract with Lilly to manufacture benches for their new Concord facility. It is a great example of a large manufacturer working with a smaller local company where they can receive vital pieces for their facility quickly and economically.

A Balanced Approach: Ashley’s Role and Empowering Women in Manufacturing

Ashley is thoughtful about the path her work life has taken. “Before joining the company, I would have never imagined myself in a bus garage, surrounded by men in a manufacturing setting,” she said. “But I’m starting to see more and more women across the industry, and I’ve become very comfortable in my role over the years.”

She points out that it has also allowed her to have work/life balance as a mom as well. “I’m able to go on field trips and see sporting events that I might not have otherwise,” she said.

Recognized for Innovation: Awards and National Recognition

In 2022, Queen City Engineering & Design received the NC Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s Leadership Award for Innovative Practice. They are sought after to speak at conferences across the country to share about best practices and innovative solutions. Ashley also now serves on their Advisory Board.

As they showed us around their 7,000-square-foot warehouse, Rex talked about what opportunities lie ahead for the company. Whatever they tackle next, the Cabarrus EDC and the Cabarrus County community are sure to support their small business and others like them.