When a job calls for a specialized tool that can’t be bought off the shelf, Diversified Product Development in Waco has the expertise to design, build, and deliver it. On this AEM Manufacturing Express tour stop in Waco, visitors got a firsthand look at that expertise in action.
For nearly three decades, Diversified Product Development has been turning “what if” ideas into real, working equipment. Founded in 1996 by mechanical engineer Ray Fritel, the company began as a one-man consulting shop. Over time, it grew into a go-to partner for utilities, construction firms, and equipment manufacturers needing highly specialized solutions.
Today, under the leadership of Ray’s son, Christopher Fritel, Diversified employs about 44 people in Waco. Projects range from one-of-a-kind prototypes to short production runs, and its process brings sales, engineering, and the shop floor together with the customer from the very first conversation.
“Half the time, we’re making something completely new,” Fritel says. “The other half, we’re taking something that exists and making it safer, faster, or better.”
That could mean designing a lithium-powered line cart that lets utility crews cross transmission towers without cranes or helicopters, or creating tire-handling systems for massive mining trucks. Its work spans both ends of the map, from keeping urban commuter rail lines running on time to helping expand the power grid in rural communities. The overall goal: making sure people get where they are going and keeping the lights on in places that need it most.
Diversified has a flexible, highly skilled crew. Welders, assemblers, inspectors, and engineers bring the adaptability to take on whatever comes next. “We like the products no one else wants to do or has the skill to do,” Fritel says. “That takes adaptability and the drive to make it work.”
Diversified operates under four specialized brands. LineWise, which serves electric lineworkers, is the busiest brand right now thanks to rising demand for grid expansion and repair. LiftWise builds lifting solutions like man baskets, tire handlers, and crane attachments. RailWise provides trucks and platforms for railroad maintenance, especially overhead power systems. DesignWise, the original heart of the company, tackles one-off custom designs and prototypes for a range of industries.
The culture is grounded in small business values of flexibility, collaboration, and knowing the people you work with. Many employees have been with the company for years, while others are new hires brought on as projects ramp up. That mix keeps the shop floor both experienced and adaptable.
The team’s collaborative spirit extends beyond the shop floor. Diversified supports Caritas of Waco, a nonprofit providing food and services locally, and partners with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce to host tours for students, teachers, and fellow business owners. These tours give visitors a firsthand look at modern manufacturing and the kinds of careers it can offer.
Looking ahead, demand for LineWise products continues to grow. As the nation’s power infrastructure upgrades to handle higher voltages from 345 kV up to 765 kV, Diversified is scaling up its equipment. Its recent delivery of two TLL-4000 units, capable of supporting three 345 kV lines weighing up to 4,000 lb. each, to a national contractor currently operating in Texas, is one example of how the company is meeting the challenge.
Diversified Product Development is a showcase of ingenuity at work: equipment built to solve specific, real-world problems, designed by a team that thrives on figuring it out. Diversified solutions are engineered for the job and backed by a Waco team that knows how to turn complex ideas into tools that work—embodying the spirit of American manufacturing that the AEM Manufacturing Express is bringing to communities nationwide.
