In a world where “good enough” often dominates, Elite Harness of Wellington, Kansas is taking a more deliberate, performance-driven approach. Born from frustration with industry norms, the company is showing what’s possible when experienced leadership meets the right investment in people and technology.
“Our goal is to change the perception of the industry,” said Nathan Smith, President of Elite Harness. Nathan recently sat for an interview with WHN, alongside VP of Sales & Marketing Josh Holthusen. “We want people to associate wire harness manufacturing with quality, short lead times, and reliable service.” Together they laid out a model that focused on customer experience, automation, and workplace culture in equal measure.
That vision is backed by more than $14 million in capital investment, including cutting-edge automation and a purpose-built facility designed to support lean, scalable manufacturing. And while Elite may be relatively new to the market, its leadership team brings more than 150 years of combined experience in manufacturing and operations.
Getting Started
Elite Harness didn’t emerge out of a desire to just sell harnesses. It was built in response to what its founders saw as persistent failures across the industry. Late shipments, quality issues, poor communication—these were common complaints from buyers at OEMs. Rather than working around these problems, the leadership team decided to address them head-on.
“We kept hearing the same thing,” said Nathan. “Buyers sticking with underperforming suppliers simply because switching was a hassle. That told us there was real opportunity if we could make the process easier, faster, and more dependable.”
Automation That Makes Sense
One of the crown jewels of that automation strategy is the Komax Zeta 650, a crimp-by-crimp machine that can feed 32 wires and apply multiple seals and terminals in a single run. But the machine alone isn’t what makes Elite efficient—it’s the way the company configures jobs, shares applicators, and organizes operations around it.
“That machine is great, but it takes planning to really get the most out of it,” Josh stressed. “We’ve spent a lot of time fine-tuning how and when we use it to keep output high and costs low.”
They’ve also added new applicators and attachments over time to accommodate customer requirements. One notable example came when a high-volume job was moved from a smaller cutter to their Alpha machine. The runtime dropped from 14.5 hours to just 3.5.
“We’re constantly re-evaluating how we do things,” Nathan reported. “It’s not about throwing money at equipment. It’s about getting the most out of what we have.”
A Facility That Supports the Mission
The 80,000-square-foot plant in Wellington is clean, spacious, and organized for efficiency. Every piece of equipment and every workstation is new. Noise is minimized, climate is controlled, and even the layout is designed to give employees space to work without stepping over each other.
“We wanted customers and employees to walk in and know right away this wasn’t your average wire harness house,” Nathan stated. “And that’s exactly the feedback we get.”
It’s not just for show. Elite uses that environment as a recruitment and retention tool. Employees work four 10-hour days and get three-day weekends. The facility is bright and comfortable, and the company promotes a respectful, team-focused atmosphere.
“Our workforce is split pretty evenly between men and women, with ages ranging from teenagers to folks in their 60s,” Josh added. “We’ve created a place where people want to stay.”
Elite’s positive atmosphere has drawn employees from up to two hours away. The exuberance is probably best illustrated by a couple of employees who actually got Elite tattoos. That may be a bit extreme but it’s a bold testament to the spirit of ownership the management team has fostered. “I wouldn’t personally do it, but I love the ones who did,” Nathan beamed.
Building a Flexible Team
Rather than hiring people to fill narrow roles, Elite trains new hires across every department. From prep to assembly to braiding, everyone learns the full process.
“That cross-training gives us flexibility to move people where they’re needed,” Nathan insisted. “It also helps employees see the big picture and understand how their work fits into the whole.”
Training is done in small cohorts to ensure attention and proper development. The company’s low turnover and steady productivity suggest the approach is working.
In addition to floor training, Elite’s QA team plays a direct role in onboarding. Everyone from assembly techs to management is expected to understand IPC/WHMA-A-620 guidelines. Training also includes quality checkpoints, hands-on tool instruction, and a basic understanding of the equipment.
Serving a Broad Range of Markets
Elite’s customers span a wide variety of industries. They serve a lot of specialty transportation markets including agriculture equipment, trucks and upfitters, buses, marine and cranes. They also have industrial customers in power generation and a growing footprint in aerospace.
“We’re not in medical, but most other transportation or industrial markets are fair game,” Josh mentioned “Being diversified is part of our strategy—it helps us stay balanced when one sector slows down.”
Their facility is optimized for high-mix, mid-volume jobs—particularly assemblies with moderate complexity. Elite supports both kitted delivery and complete plug-and-play solutions depending on customer needs.
To further support its commitment to fast turnaround times, Elite Harness operates its own company delivery van for regional shipments. This service is offered to customers within a practical driving radius and is especially valuable for those operating under tight production schedules. “When someone’s production line is down and they need harnesses now, we don’t want to wait on a third-party carrier,” Josh said. “If it’s within reach, we’ll load up the van and deliver it ourselves. It’s just one more way we try to be a true partner.”
He recalled one example where a regional fleet operator needed fast-turn harnesses for a newly acquired vehicle platform. With a signed blanket agreement, Elite was able to stock key materials and offer two-hour lead times for urgent orders. “That’s the kind of thing we’re proud of,” Josh declared with conviction. “When our customers are in a bind, we step up.”
Smart Growth, Not Fast Growth
Elite also makes a point to connect their team’s work with real-world outcomes. Around the facility, they’ve begun putting up signage that shows where their products go—what they power, who they protect, and why they matter. Josh and Nathan confirmed their belief that it helps the team understand the broader value of what they build. “It’s easy to see wires and connectors and lose sight of the bigger picture,” Josh said. “But it’s not just wires. It’s flashing lights on a school bus or it’s the GPS in a concrete truck. What we build matters.”
Elite started production less than a year ago, but growth has been strong enough that Josh was briefly asked to slow down on quoting new business. “That was tough,” he admitted. “But it was the right call. We didn’t want to compromise service to our existing customers.”
Now back at full throttle, the company continues to grow through word of mouth, SEO leads from their website, and direct outreach. Josh reported their online efforts are paying off with several new inquiries each week via the company’s website contact form—more than he expected at this stage.
Elite also benefits from referral business. Several of their customers work across multiple industries and share positive experiences with peers, further expanding Elite’s reach.
A Long-Term Plan
Organic growth is only part of the company’s goal to establish a national footprint. Elite’s leadership has their eyes on more than short-term results. They’re actively exploring acquisitions as part of a long-term plan to become one of the top wire harness providers in the country.
“We’re not going to do everything under one roof,” Nathan informed. “For things like overmolding, we’d rather acquire a company with the expertise and equipment already in place.” The company is already evaluating several regional candidates—shops with complementary specialties or strategic locations. “We want to build something sustainable,” he added. “That means smart integration, good people, and solid systems.”
Quality from the Ground Up
Elite is AS9100 and ISO 9001 certified, and strictly follows IPC/WHMA-A-620. Quality assurance and standard adherence is not just a checkpoint—it’s baked into the company’s DNA. “We’ve had customers suggest a terminal/wire combination, and our team has pushed back because it didn’t meet pull-test requirements,” Josh said. “That’s the kind of attention to detail we’re proud of.”
Every harness goes through visual inspection, and many are tested electrically. In high-reliability applications, customers can opt for enhanced validation. To support its strict quality and traceability standards, Elite Harness developed a custom internal system that tracks every harness from raw material to final shipment.
The system logs operator activity, inspection records, and tooling data for each job, creating a digital thread that can be audited at any point. “It’s not off-the-shelf software,” explained Josh. “It’s tailored to how we work, which lets us document every stage of production without slowing things down.” This visibility also gives customers peace of mind—especially those in regulated industries where traceability is mandatory.
Elite also encourages feedback from the floor. Operators are empowered to pause a job and raise concerns, and the engineering team works closely with production to improve designs.
Looking Ahead
After a foundational year in 2024, Elite is leaning into its next phase. More customers, more talent, and more refinement in how they deploy their technology. “We have set the table,” Josh said confidently. “Now it’s time to grow.” Plans for 2025 include expanding their supplier network, implementing real-time production dashboards on the shop floor, and strengthening their regional delivery program.
They’re also investing in local workforce development. The company has started building relationships with area high schools and vocational programs to introduce students to careers in manufacturing.
“There’s real opportunity here,” Nathan confirmed. “We want to be the kind of employer people talk about—and the kind of partner customers rely on.”
Elite Harness has shown that a wire harness company can be modern, responsive, and employee-focused—without sacrificing cost or quality. With a clear vision, strong systems, and an experienced team, they’re proving a better way is not only possible—it’s already happening.
For more on how this young company has quickly become a power player in our industry, visit Elite Harness at www.elite-harness.com.
