Where we work
Service Areas — Product Development Across the United States
One engineering team in Ruston, Louisiana, working with clients in every US metro
We are a US product development company with a single engineering base in Ruston, Louisiana. Clients are spread across the country, and almost all of the work runs the same way: shared CAD, weekly reviews with the engineer doing the work, prototypes shipped to you, and travel when a project genuinely needs someone in the room.
This page explains what a service area means for hardware work, and lists the metros where we have written a dedicated page.
- One team, all 50 states
- Ruston, Louisiana base
- Prototypes anywhere in 2 – 4 days
- No local surcharge
What a service area means for product development
Short answer
LA NPDT works with clients nationwide from one engineering base in Ruston, Louisiana. Design, engineering, firmware and prototyping happen here; files are shared online, prototypes ship anywhere in the continental US in two to four days, and we travel for user testing, factory visits and investor meetings when the trip earns its cost. There is no minimum distance and no local surcharge.
Hardware development is not a trade that needs a van in your driveway. What it needs is one team that owns the design, the engineering and the build, and a schedule you can see. Where that team sits matters far less than how many companies your project has to pass through.
Metros we work in
Seven metros have dedicated pages, each with a comparison against named local firms. Everywhere else is served exactly the same way.
Metro, typical work and shipping time from our shop
| Metro | What we most often build there | Prototype transit | Dedicated pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | Consumer, beauty and wellness products, entertainment-adjacent hardware | 2 – 3 days | Development, design, prototyping |
| New York, NY | Consumer goods, retail and packaging-led products | 2 – 3 days | Development, prototyping |
| Chicago, IL | Industrial equipment, housewares, food-service hardware | 2 days | Development, prototyping |
| Houston, TX | Industrial and energy equipment, outdoor products | 1 – 2 days | Development |
| Dallas, TX | Consumer hardware, medical devices, sporting goods | 1 – 2 days | Development |
| Atlanta, GA | Consumer products, logistics and pet products | 1 – 2 days | Development |
| Miami, FL | Consumer goods, marine and outdoor products | 2 days | Development |
| Everywhere else in the US | Any of the above | 2 – 4 days | Not yet |
Los Angeles, CA
- What we most often build there
- Consumer, beauty and wellness products, entertainment-adjacent hardware
- Prototype transit
- 2 – 3 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development, design, prototyping
New York, NY
- What we most often build there
- Consumer goods, retail and packaging-led products
- Prototype transit
- 2 – 3 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development, prototyping
Chicago, IL
- What we most often build there
- Industrial equipment, housewares, food-service hardware
- Prototype transit
- 2 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development, prototyping
Houston, TX
- What we most often build there
- Industrial and energy equipment, outdoor products
- Prototype transit
- 1 – 2 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development
Dallas, TX
- What we most often build there
- Consumer hardware, medical devices, sporting goods
- Prototype transit
- 1 – 2 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development
Atlanta, GA
- What we most often build there
- Consumer products, logistics and pet products
- Prototype transit
- 1 – 2 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development
Miami, FL
- What we most often build there
- Consumer goods, marine and outdoor products
- Prototype transit
- 2 days
- Dedicated pages
- Development
Everywhere else in the US
- What we most often build there
- Any of the above
- Prototype transit
- 2 – 4 days
- Dedicated pages
- Not yet
Transit times are typical ground shipping from Ruston, Louisiana; expedited options are available on request.
Los Angeles
We had a Los Angeles location and closed it during COVID. LA remained one of our largest client bases, so it has three dedicated pages: product development, product design and prototyping, each with a comparison against named Southern California firms.
- Product development for Los Angeles clientsHow we work with LA founders and brands, and what it costs.
- Product design for Los AngelesConcept, industrial design and CAD for LA-based products.
- Prototyping for Los AngelesWorking prototypes shipped to LA, built by our own engineers.
New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Miami
Each of these pages compares us against named firms in that metro, lists the categories we most often build there, and gives cost and transit figures specific to it.
- Product development for New YorkRetail and packaging-led consumer goods, compared against NYC firms.
- Prototyping and 3D printing for New YorkEngineered prototypes versus Brooklyn print bureaus.
- Product development for ChicagoIndustrial equipment, housewares and food-service hardware.
- Prototyping and 3D printing for ChicagoEngineered prototypes versus Chicagoland build-to-print shops.
- Product development for HoustonEnergy and industrial hardware, four hours from our shop.
- Product development for DallasConsumer hardware, medical devices and connected products.
- Product development for AtlantaConsumer, pet and outdoor goods built for landed cost.
- Product development for MiamiMarine, outdoor and consumer products, engineered in the US.
How a remote project runs
- Kickoff call to write the brief, then a standing weekly review with your engineer.
- Shared CAD and renders you can open in a browser, updated as the design moves.
- Prototypes shipped to you, with photos and video of the build before they leave.
- Travel when it earns its cost — user testing, factory visits, shoots, pitch meetings.
- NDA before the first technical conversation; files transfer to you at close-out.
Where to go next
- All development servicesResearch, design, engineering, prototyping and short-run production.
- Product development portfolioProducts we designed, engineered and manufactured.
- Rapid prototypingHow we build working prototypes and what they cost.
- Concept designThe full guide to turning an idea into sketches, CAD and renders.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where is LA NPDT located?
Our engineering base is in Ruston, Louisiana. 'LA' in our name is Louisiana, not Los Angeles — though we do serve a long-standing Los Angeles client base remotely.
Do you only work with clients near Louisiana?
No. Clients are spread across the United States and the work runs the same way regardless of distance: shared files, weekly reviews and shipped prototypes.
How long does it take to get a prototype shipped to my city?
One to two days to Texas and the Gulf South, two days to most of the Midwest and Southeast, and two to three days to either coast, with expedited options available.
Will you travel to us?
Yes, when the trip earns its cost — user testing, factory visits, shoots, investor meetings. We say plainly when a video call would do the same job.
Do you charge more for out-of-state clients?
No. Rates are the same wherever you are; only shipping costs vary.
Where to go next
- Product development for Los Angeles clientsHow we work with LA founders and brands, and what it costs.
- All development servicesResearch, design, engineering, prototyping and short-run production.
- Product development portfolioProducts we designed, engineered and manufactured.
- Concept designThe full guide to turning an idea into sketches, CAD and renders.