Building the Future of Manufacturing One Skill at a Time

Olson Custom Designs (OCD), headquartered in Indianapolis, is redefining what a modern machine shop can be. This high-tech manufacturing and training facility turns out precision components for the aerospace, medical, and commercial industries, handling everything from CNC milling and turning to advanced fabrication and welding. Whether they’re building a one-off prototype or cranking out a high-volume production run, OCD holds itself to the same high bar: get it right, every time.

Brothers Mitch and Brian Olson started OCD in 2014, taking their shared love of car racing and years of hands-on pit crew experience and turning it into something much bigger. What began as a passion project has grown into a cutting-edge shop that can build precision parts for almost anything—and today, that work stretches well beyond motorsports into medical, defense, and aerospace innovation. With more than $3.2 million in SBA-backed financing, plus guidance from the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Indiana APEX Accelerator, the Olsons have been able to grow their footprint, modernize the shop floor, and bring in state-of-the-art equipment.

Here’s the catch: the work at OCD is fast, technical, and precise, and it calls for skills you just don’t pick up in a typical classroom. Co-owner Brian Olson will tell you finding people with that skill set is one of the hardest parts of running their business. So instead of waiting around for the right hires to show up, the brothers decided to grow their own—teaming up with local schools and vocational programs to build an apprenticeship-style training program that gives the next generation real, hands-on experience in the skilled trades.

“College isn’t for everyone,” Olson said. “We were challenged that we couldn’t find employees with the kind of skills we needed to run machines making products for our clients, so we’re building our own training program. It’s a win-win—we teach the skills we need, and students gain skills that they need to secure a bright and sustainably employable future.”

That mix of hustle and heart is paying off. In 2026, OCD picked up an SBA National Small Business Week Award as the very first SBA Indiana Manufacturer of the Year. Later that summer, OCD threw open the doors on a brand-new production space and signed on to the SBA 250 Pledge—one more way they’re putting their money where their mouth is supporting American manufacturing.

Looking ahead, the Olson brothers aren’t slowing down. They’re chasing more federal and private-sector contracts in defense, aerospace, and automotive manufacturing, all while growing the training pipeline that’s teaching the next wave of manufacturers the skills they’ll need to thrive.

Learn more about SBA programs, loans, and manufacturing initiatives at www.sba.gov/in.