For a modest invest of capitol equipment and maybe some hair pulling to learn the process it shouldn't be terribly difficult to get your own production line up and running.
You just missed a few trade shows that you could have went to and seen all the various machine makers and suppliers all in one building. The next trade show will be in Vegas in April, unless you want to go to Germany next week to see a really huge trade show.
What I would recommend you doing is to have your first few batches of boards built by a local contract manufacturer and you go there and watch their process. Not to copy them, but to at least see the overall process involved and you will then see if it is something you want to bite into on your own.
Companies that are contract manufacturers can build as little as 1 board and on up to thousands of boards in a batch. They can build the boards only for you and you build the rest of the assembly, or they may be able to build everything for your assembly.
If you are talking a low volume of boards, then you may find it cheaper and easier to have them made by someone else. I am sure there are some companies in Kansas City or St. Louis that can build some boards for you.
Once you are sure you want to get your own equipment, then you can try and decide what manufacturers would be best. And to be honest, if your boards are not very complicated just about any supplier of equipment will be able to do it. It will more likely boil down to who has machines in your budget and whose is easiest to use/program. Do you have a budget in mind?
For SMT equipment, you will need at the barest of minimums a screen printer, pick-n-place and reflow. For the thru-hole parts, you may be able to get by with hand soldering the boards. It all depends on your volume of boards and volume of non-SMT parts per board. Solder wave machines are pretty inexpensive, so forgo the hand soldering for a machine to do it for you.
Then you can go crazy on equipment and get inpestion equipment, board loader/unloader handlers, conveyors for board transport between machines and other equipment that make life easier for production.
Again it all boils down to budget and your desire to really dive in and get your feet wet.
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