How Manufacturer OEM Controls Is Bringing Their Facility into a More Sustainable Future
OEM Controls, a Connecticut-based manufacturer, partnered with Budderfly to modernize its 75,000‑square‑foot facility with solar, HVAC, and LED upgrades. Budderfly invested $1.5M to improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and create a better environment for more than 200 employees.
OEM Controls is a family-owned manufacturer specializing in the design and development of electrohydraulic controllers. Founded in 1966 by Brian Simons, the company has been based in Connecticut for over 55 years and is now led by Brian’s sons, Sam and Keith. In 2025, OEM announced a new partnership with Budderfly to update their 75,000-square-foot Shelton facility to become more sustainable and energy efficient.
In the video below, we talked to Sam Simons, Co-President and COO, and Keith Simons, Co-President - Controls Division, about the history of their family business and why they chose to work with Budderfly to continue OEM’s legacy of innovation.
Why OEM Partnered with Budderfly
Aging equipment was causing inflated energy bills which were draining the company’s resources. They needed to cut costs so they could continue affording their Connecticut location, and they needed to modernize their facility to create a better, brighter environment for their over 200 employees. Yet they didn’t have the expertise to lead a full-facility upgrade in-house and didn’t want to spend the capital that it would cost upfront to make it happen.
“Manufacturers are worried about their shop floors, their plant floors, and they're investing in the equipment to build the products that they sell,” said Al Subbloie, Founder and CEO of Budderfly, “but not necessarily their HVAC equipment, lighting, hot water, heat. And as a result of that, the aging has created a pretty inefficient outcome.”
By partnering with Budderfly, OEM has been able to solve these inefficiencies, modernize their buildings, all while accessing Budderfly’s capital and expertise to make it happen.
What Budderfly Installed
Budderfly has invested $1.5 million into OEM’s facility to install:
- A new rooftop solar system with 230 kWdc of capacity
- 18 ultra-high-performance HVAC units
- An extensive LED lighting retrofit throughout the facility
Budderfly’s team also came up with a plan for installation that avoided the need to shut down the facility, and downtime was minimal.
“We spent a lot of time talking with the Budderfly team. They did an awesome job of understanding our situation. We had a lot of skepticism in the beginning. But their patience, their diligence, understanding who we are, and coming up with creative solutions,” said Sam Simons, “really made it easy to work with and make the decision to go with Budderfly.”
The benefits of the partnership are already improving the facility, with consistent lighting and temperature throughout the building, a better working environment, reduced reliance on the grid, and a lower carbon footprint.
"Budderfly has been instrumental in guiding us and leading us and leapfrogging us into the infrastructure that we need to keep growing and moving forward as a company.” — Keith Simons, Co-President - Controls Division at OEM Controls
FAQ
Who is OEM Controls?
OEM Controls is a manufacturer known as a leader in the design and development of electrohydraulic controllers based in Connecticut for over 55 years.
What do manufacturers get when they work with Budderfly?
When manufacturers partner with Budderfly, they can get energy efficient equipment upgrades provided at no upfront cost, regular preventative maintenance to proactively service equipment for optimal performance, on-site renewable energy such as solar panels, and more.