Building parts that stand three feet tall isn’t an everyday 3D printing job and that’s exactly where Relay Manufacturing thrives. The manufacturing services company helps organizations bridge the gap between design and production through large-format additive manufacturing and other manufacturing services. The venture was founded by Rich Hayburn, a University of Delaware Class of 2020 graduate who studied Mechanical Engineering with an Integrated Design minor, along with a math minor and manufacturing concentration. While at UD, Rich leaned into Horn Entrepreneurship through Summer Founders, NSF I-Corps, and VentureOn, experiences that helped him turn hands-on problem solving into a growing business.
What inspired your startup idea?
The idea came together gradually through my time working in and around manufacturing. I had exposure to a wide range of industries and saw the same pattern repeat itself: companies knew what they wanted to build, but struggled to confidently navigate how to manufacture it.
In some cases, a handful of teams had figured out how tools like industrial 3D printing could add real value, while the rest of the industry either hadn’t caught up or had tried and been burned by poor outcomes. The gap wasn’t access to technology, it was access to judgment.
Relay Manufacturing was created to close that gap. The goal was to make modern manufacturing more approachable and reliable by helping customers understand what will actually work for their application, reducing risk early, and guiding projects from design to production with clarity and accountability.
Tell us about your startup journey so far — the highs, the pivots, the learning curves.
The journey so far has been defined by learning quickly and staying honest about what actually creates value. Early on, I explored machine development opportunities, but it became clear that the most immediate and meaningful impact was in helping customers execute real manufacturing work reliably.
That realization led to a pivot toward contract manufacturing and manufacturing services: building a strong foundation by solving concrete problems, validating demand, and earning trust one project at a time. Getting out into the market and working directly with customers across different industries has been one of the most rewarding parts of the process.
One of the biggest surprises has been seeing the range of ways customers use modern manufacturing methods in vastly different ways from one another. Many applications didn’t match my initial assumptions, and those conversations have consistently shaped how Relay Manufacturing continues to evolve and refine its focus.
What has been your proudest moment as a founder?
With this venture in particular, I think the first check received really made me proud. It’s nothing crazy or momentous, but it was a moment that validated the work we’d done to get that far. Something about how smoothly it went, the positive reception, and our full confidence in getting the work done with quality really made me confident that we’ve found a great opportunity here.
How did UD and Horn Entrepreneurship shape your path?
The programs and resources that UD and Horn offer to students opened up a whole new world to me! Attending open events like Free Lunch Friday, participating in the programs like VentureOn, and even just the time I spent at the VDC working on my ideas gave me so many great growth opportunities. I can’t thank Vince and the rest of the Horn team enough!
To be specific: I don’t believe I would have gotten my first professional role in 3D printing if it weren’t for the path Horn put me on. The internships I was able to get were in an unrelated field, and I felt like I was losing the ability to choose my own path and spend my days on my passions. By being empowered to start my own venture, I made it onto many companies’ radars when I started applying for roles in the industry.
What did your career path look like before launching your startup?
When I graduated from UD I was already operating my first startup, which offered product development, prototyping, and consulting services. That gave me the opportunity to work for a large-format 3D printing company up in Boston, where my job was to travel around the country to train customers, service machines, and more. From both of these, I learned so much about the customer experience, and the 3DP industry as a whole.
My time in Boston ended me up in Atlanta, where it was my job to build out the graphics & manufacturing departments for a huge film studio, as well as make enormous (20’+) RC airplanes as part of the owner’s hobby. The role let me be an entrepreneur with a huge head start and the training wheels on, which gave me so many personal growth and learning opportunities.
Each step in my career has helped prepare me for the next, and that is true for my entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial, and hired roles!
What advice would you give to current students who are thinking about launching a startup?
My first piece of advice is to just get started and get feedback! If you have an idea, the best thing you can do is to validate it by talking to your target customers.
There are so, so many resources at UD through Horn that are available to help you get going, and my second piece of advice is to use them! Spend time at the VDC, participate in their clubs and mentoring, and ask for help when you need it. The team there, as well as your peers there, are all there to help each other grow successful ventures. It gives you so much extra gas to be surrounded by like-minded, motivated, and self-starting people.
What’s next — for you or your venture?
We’re focused now on sourcing and completing projects to fund process advancements. We’re also taking a huge focus on automation and process optimization, as it allows us to keep our buildout extremely lean and leaves us lots of margin to scale with. There are a couple of markets that have stood out as the most receptive and most in need of our services, so we’re doubling down there to help us grow.
Is there anything else you would like to tell the Horn community?
That I am always happy to help, so please feel free to reach out!
Whether you’re an alumni running an Industrial Design firm in need of prototyping, or a student who is still trying to decide which idea of 100 to pursue, I’m excited to talk about new ideas or lend a hand in any way I can.
From tinkering with ideas at the VDC to helping industries step into the future of manufacturing, Rich’s journey shows what’s possible when technical talent meets entrepreneurial drive. His advice is simple: start early, ask for feedback, and use the resources around you. With that mindset, big ideas don’t stay ideas for long. They get built.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind entrepreneurship education and innovation at the University of Delaware. Consistently ranked as one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the United States, it was founded and continues to be supported by accomplished entrepreneurs. The program empowers aspiring innovators, equipping them with the skills and resources needed to bring their ideas to life and create positive change in the world.
