EMSNOW: Recent Episodes
Eric Miscoll
With shows like The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show), EMSNOW Up Close, and EMSNOW on Tour, it's no surprise everyone in the electronics manufacturing industry is subscribing to EMSNOW's podcast channel.
In this podcast, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss report on a bonus On Tour meeting with Limtronik's Managing Director, Gerd Ohl in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany.
After Dieter provides a brief history of the company, the discussion turns to what makes Limtronik unique. They agreed the early adoption of digitalization and Smart Factory capability brings substantial value to its customers and the business. Further, the collaboration with Videoton has given the two organizations deeper and more comprehensive capabilities in Europe.
The conversation covers detailed impressions of Limtronik's 'competency and capacity', which are the two sides of any successful EMS value proposition. Dieter and Eric continue to explore the myriad ways to execute on this basic truth about electronics manufacturing.
EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll and in4ma's Dieter Weiss exchange impressions from in4ma's EMS & PCB Forum 2026 held in Würzburg, Germany. This exclusive event brings together leaders from the EMS, PCB and investment community to learn and network without commercial distractions.
The Forum agenda was presented in both English and German and packed with high level strategic content; the podcast discussion provides an overview of the highlights: The Role of Eastern Europe in EMS, Update on Rare Earth Minerals, The European CHIPS Act, Vertical Integration as a Strategic Advantage, Consolidation in the EMS Market, New Business Models; Digitalization Strategies. EMS and PCB companies of all sizes were represented and the presentations were relevant to the entire group. All 200+ attendees stayed engaged right up to the closing remarks.
The networking sessions were equally well received and the feedback since the event has been enthusiastic. Without the distractions of sales people and exhibits, the focus was on relationship-building and increased understanding of the data and insights that will propel the industry forward in the 2026 and beyond.
In this very insightful final conversation of in4ma & EMSNOW's On Tour 2026, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss break down the findings from their in-depth interviews of the nine Nordic EMS companies, representing very different management styles and strategies. The discussion begins with an acknowledgement to the sponsors, and some tour metrics which highlight the challenges of this journey, in terms of logistics and expenses. The sponsors enable this research, which is being offered at no charge to the industry through podcasts and reports on EMSNOW.com.
Topics include an overview of the market sectors served by these companies; the general mood of the EMS industry in Europe and what is needed for a return to healthy balance sheets; what surprised the two analysts from these conversations, and some realism about growth prospects for Europe.
These two seasoned experts share their nuanced impressions and frank opinions about a wide range of topics that directly impact the current state of the global electronics industry, and the place of Europe's EMS industry in it.
Listeners are encouraged to be on the look-out for further reports and updates based on these interviews and the EMS & ODM Global 100 research program.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
In this their final Nordic EMS industry company analysis, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss travelled to Eindhoven, Netherlands, which has become 'the center of the universe' for electronics. Home to ASML - the essential technology provider for semiconductor manufacturing, and Philips, another key Dutch company, Eindhoven is a hub for advanced complex electronics manufacturing.
The team met with executives from Neways, which is #62 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list. They met with Michiel Van Der Maat, Chief Commercial Officer; Claus-Wilhelm Kirchhelle, New Business Development Manager and Freek Deelen,Corporate head of Strategy & Communications.
Neways' business model is very much aligned with Eindhoven's advanced complex electronics emphasis. In fact, they prefer that description to 'electronics manufacturing services' -- although they do have classical EMS as part of their service offering. Dieter recounts Neways' history and markets served, which include semiconductor packaging, e.g. thin and thick film technology, which is enjoying something of a renaissance; defense electronics and 'connectivity' - a category that includes agriculture and medical.
The conversation hints at trends to be explored in the summary podcast and report to come; Eric explains that each of the companies chosen for this On Tour contribute to the ongoing EMS & ODM Global 100 analysis.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Speaking from Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their earlier visit to Connect Group in Ieper, Belgium. Connect Group is #77 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; they met with Jeroen Tuik, CEO; Diëgo Verhaeghe, General Manager, Europe; and Wouter Peene, Operations Manager.
As their name would imply, this privately held company started as a cable harness manufacturer, and has since expanded into EMS. Dieter summarizes their acquisition and expansion strategy, including the decision to greenfield a facility in Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S.
Market sectors served include automotive and off-road (i.e. agriculture), medical, industrial, infrastructure, railway, and defense. The day of the meeting, the team was celebrating acceptance of an award from Thales Belgium for agility and adaptability, a testament to success in this key market sector.
The conversation turns to a very interesting analysis of how the value proposition for EMS in Europe, and elsewhere, has evolved over time. From expertise in equipment and processes to agility in supply chain management, these skillful leaders rise to whatever challenges the electronics industry and the geopolitical environment demand. For now, the focus is on operational excellence to be ready for the next wave of growth.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss report in from Belgium where they discuss their earlier meeting outside of Billund, Denmark with Bo Lybæk, CEO of GPV Group. GPV is #40 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; the conversation begins with an overview of its aggressive acquisition journey of the past few years, and the current geographical factory footprint. They learn about the current balance of market segments, which is evenly distributed among 'industrial', clean tech, transportation, and measurement and control; this is one EMS in Europe that is not pursuing the defense electronics business.
The company is focused on complex, high end assembly. One statistic that stood out for the two analysts was 30% of their programs are less than two years old. They agreed that shorter product life-cycles are unusual for European EMS companies and can be the result of either new customers or increased product development by legacy customers.
The team heads to Amsterdam next and then on to Ieper, Belgium and Eindhoven, the Netherlands for the final two EMS visits before traveling to Berlin to wrap this year's tour.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
In a slight departure from the norm for the OnTour visits, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to tour sponsor Mycronic, which is headquartered in Sweden. They met with CEO Anders Lindqvist and the management team, Göran Frank, head of product management, Thomas Bredin, area sales manager, and Rickard Clark, application engineer. The discussion covers the importance of equipment selection and configuration in executing any manufacturing strategy. For example, using Mycronic's integrated approach is especially effective for low volume/high mix EMS where easy changeover is so critical. The discussion goes into the details of the Mycronic line: stencils to AOI and component storage with the AI driven software to support it.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
The Tour team discusses a visit to Inission Group's EMS business, which is #99 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; they met with Fredric Grahn, Director of Sales and Marketing for the EMS business. This company has executed on a unique growth strategy of aggressive acquisitions over the past decade as it expands the group's business as a power supply OEM by adding EMS capabilities through 11 facilities located in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, and Tunisia. Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss the implications and results of this approach to growth.
The two analysts then go into an explanation for why PCBs are in short supply in the industry right now. This is an underreported phenomenon, getting much less attention than the memory shortage. Dieter explains the reason the PCB manufacturers are switching to different materials for boards used by the data centers, and what that means for the rest of the market sectors. The disruption highlights the need for the industry to support European PCB manufacturers.
The podcast ends with a preview of the rest of the Nordic On Tour visits.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Reporting again from Stockholm, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to Scanfil, ranked #46 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list. Dieter first provides the background on this 50-year old Finnish-headquartered EMS and its CEO Christophe Sut and then the two dig into its unique business. They described what they learned about the lean, empowered local teams running the specialized factories focused on markets: defense, med-tech, clean tech, energy and the catch-all 'industrial' sectors. Each facility has the appropriate certifications and equipment sets.
The conversation turns to the overall trends the team is hearing about as they mark the half-way point on this tour. They have visited five out of the nine Nordic EMS companies scheduled and talked with the CEOs of all five. Some common themes are emerging around challenges of material shortages, geographical differences in terms of product life-cycles and customer expectations, and cautious implementation of AI. But what is becoming clear is there is a remarkable diversity in leadership styles and strategic goals. The team agrees, there is not just one right way to run an EMS in 2026. These leaders are all very successful, in spite of, or maybe because of, their different approaches to management.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
The in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour team is in Stockholm, reporting on their meeting with Peter Nilsson, Kitron's CEO and the management team at the Kitron Eltech AB (Kungsängen) facility. This facility came under the Kitron umbrella as a result of their acquisition of DeltaNordic earlier this year; Kitron is #49 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list.
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss begin with an overview of this leading Nordic EMS, and then discuss some of the themes from the interview. Kitron is very strong in defense electronics; Dieter notes his latest data show Kitron as the largest defense EMS in Europe. The company also makes power conversion electronics for data centers, IoT and medical devices. Peter emphasizes fast decision-making to his managers, and their growth trajectory reflects strong organic growth. The conversation also includes developing trends in Europe, including shortages of not only memory chips, but PCBs, something that the industry was not expecting.
The podcast ends once again with a quick preview of the next few interviews, and gratitude to the sponsors.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss continue their tour of European EMS with a discussion of two companies emblematic of the current trends in the region. They describe yesterday's tour of the newest PCB manufacturing facility in Europe at TLT in Vilnius, Lithuania and the implications for Europe whose share of the PCB industry has dwindled substantially.
After sharing their thoughts about a ride on a 12-seater airplane to Torsby, Sweden (see photo), the conversation turns to Sweden-based EMS NOTE, which is #77 on the EMS/ODM Global 100 list. They met with Johannes Lind-Widestam, CEO; Karin Nicols and Magnus Lundin.
The discussion explores the unique characteristics of European EMS management and business strategy which they agree differs markedly from that of EMS in other geographies. They discuss customer engagement priorities, the ideal facility size in terms of employees and revenue; and how companies are responding to market conditions including the shortages driven by resources diverted to the data center build-out.
The On Tour team will be in Stockholm for the next four days, expanding their knowledge and insights in preparation for EMSNOW's continuing coverage.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
This third podcast from in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 begins with impressions from the morning session of the EIPC Summer conference in Vilnius, Lithuania where Dieter Weiss presented on the PCB industry. He reminded attendees of the value of participating in valid industry research programs, sharing data which is aggregated anonymously and helps guide executives.
The conversation turns to the company on the docket for the second visit: TLT Manufacturing. They describe the impressive TLT campus, 'Technology Hill' which has expanded substantially since their last visit. It is a thriving enterprise, with a young workforce, which has grown organically through strategic investment and construction. The data-packed discussion concludes with a preview of tomorrow's agenda.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research.
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Recorded in a location close to the Munich airport, this analysis of a meeting at InCap's Karlsfeld, Germany facility includes impressions from Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss about the unique characteristics of this well run global EMS that came in at #93 on the EMS-ODM Global 100 list. The On Tour team has visited several InCap facilities over the years, including the one in India last fall; all exhibit similarly decentralized management organizations, by design. InCap's CEO Otto Pukk is determined to give shareholders maximum value by delivering a very lean structure where authority is localized and the emphasis is on manufacturing. The company is moving toward vertically integrated manufacturing services, with data management being central to flexibility and resilience.
The team travels to Lithuania next and the podcast concludes with a preview of the week's planned meetings.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. -
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss the European EMS industry on this kick-off podcast for the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour. They outline the details and logistics about this tour focused primarily on Nordic EMS. The conversation is based on in4ma's ever evolving database of 986 EMS companies in Europe, which is now reflecting 2025 revenues; Dieter's data driven insights reveal a disruptive and volatile year as the industry responds to the chip crisis arising from the AI hyperscaler build out. "It will be a difficult and interesting year for the EMS industry," is the consensus.
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. -
CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing–
Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI Everywhere
Mycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
EMSNOW learns about Koh Young’s response to new challenges in Mexico and South America from that geography’s team leader Heriberto Cuevas Velázquez. With AI changing everything, he explains, training has taken center stage both internally, and for Koh Young customers. They are investing in classrooms and demonstration centers, and forging new partnerships to attract and retain the highly skilled engineers needed to help Koh Young’s EMS customers become more productive. Demand for training is strong – they are proud of the 900 (!) people they have trained since 2020, representing over 95 companies; that rate has accelerated in recent months.
Heriberto goes on to describe the highly competitive, fast-paced and ever-evolving market for inspection equipment in Mexico and South America. He shares insights and examples about Koh Young’s specific positioning as an innovator in ‘the power of data’ which is fundamental to any AI algorithm. We think you will enjoy this discussion about all the rapid developments in this dynamic geography for electronics manufacturing from an industry leader in automated inspection equipment.
Luminovo's Sam Mason provides EMSNOW with a business update on its activities in North America. This includes new North America-based team members and just announced quoting software features, including Luminovo's rew risk module. With the acceleration of geopolitical disruption and volatility impacting electronic components directly, the ability to monitor the health of each BOM in production is mandatory. Luminovo partners with Silicon Expert to enable part-level early detection of risk to avoid the 'golden screw' dilemma where one part holds up an entire production line.
The conversation includes a frank discussion of the 'make or buy' decision process for component supply chain software faced by EMS or OEM manufacturers. When does it make sense to leverage a specialized software solution provider like Luminovo instead of developing the capabilities in-house? While electronics manufacturers must consider the unique capabilities and digital journey of their organization, plugging into the 80 Luminovo engineers that have been building tools to address this for the past 8 years helps an organization avoid the 'little blind spots' that can crop up, Sam cautioned.
Sam also explains what he sees as Luminovo's key differentiators in this fast-paced, AI driven development environment. He recommends that those EMS and OEMs struggling with component supply chain challenges do a test drive of their tools on Luminovo.com.
EMSNOW continues our ground-breaking EMS Spotlight Series with a conversation with Mike Buseman, CEO of SMTC, a mid-tier EMS with an Americas-based manufacturing footprint. Mike describes their strategy for serving low-to-medium volume, highly complex systems for regulated end markets in the face of the current geopolitical turmoil.
Especially interesting are his insights about the ‘defense disruptors’ – non-traditional military/defense customers that are quickly responding to the shift to drone warfare. He also explains their strategy for the cloud/advanced compute market sector and why they are somewhat protected from the memory shortages by their Americas footprint and their nimble ‘tariff-engineered’ solution.
He notes the importance of attracting and engaging with employees, and why their people strategy is a key differentiator; how they are using AI for demand planning, contracting and financial analysis; and what the rest of 2026 looks like from his viewpoint.
It’s a fascinating look at how a mid-tier EMS can position itself for resilience and supply chain agility.
EMS Spotlight is sponsored by Luminovo.
David Cummings, SVP & Chief Commercial Officer, Benchmark Electronics explains his company’s ‘customer obsession’ culture’ and how that resonates with customers building increasingly complex electronic products in a volatile global environment. Benchmark Electronics is listed at #30 on EMSNOW/in4ma’s EMS & ODM Global 100 and recently celebrated 50 years as an outsourcing service provider.
David discusses how the industry is rising to the engineering challenges of these complex electronics. Benchmark, he says, operates at the intersection of engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing, and has seen customers increasingly recognize and respect the specialized engineering expertise demonstrated by the EMS industry.
In this insightful conversation, David succinctly outlines the strategies needed for what he believes is a very bright future for electronics. “We are investing in and building the muscle that will be needed for the challenges ahead,” he concludes.
EMS Spotlight is sponsored by Luminovo.
White Horse Laboratories is on the front lines of the counterfeit component battle, and Mark Rinehart, Founder and Managing Director reports on the increasing sophistication of these bad actors unleashing both old parts being sold as new, and new companies flooding the market with clones. This eye-opening conversation explains how counterfeiters are responding to the shortages in memory in increasingly brazen ways, including posting videos of how to refurbish an old memory device and sell it as new. White Horse Labs considers itself the Guardians of Technological Integrity, helping companies first identify these bad parts and then prevent them getting into electronics. Mark explains in detail exactly what electronics companies are up against in these turbulent times for global manufacturers and what they can do.
Luminovo’s Sam Mason shares news with EMSNOW about the company’s manufacturing modules and the industry’s response to solutions for automating the quoting process. Sam explains how Luminovo’s precise modeling of an EMS’ manufacturing services can dramatically reduce the time it takes to respond to a request for a quote from customers. They take data from EMS’ actual operations to allow them to very accurately model their specific total manufacturing costs by PCB facility. e.g. whether in California or Washington or Texas, and then generate an accurate, comprehensive quote in hours rather than weeks.
For OEMs, the Luminovo platform enables companies to gather compliance data to reduce risk. The discussion covers how customer expectations have evolved and how AI has accelerated what is possible.
Luminovo just introduced a tool called Electronics GPT: a Chat GPT- style interface that marries the data precision of their platform to a user interface that is becoming so familiar to customers. Sam invites listeners to play around with it at https://www.electronicsgpt.luminovo.com/. The conversation ends with information about coming trade shows where listeners in North America can meet Sam and learn more about these powerful tools.
EMSNOW discusses data automation in the EMS industry in India with Priyank Soni, Growth Manager of CalcuQuote, a quoting software platform designed for EMS. Priyank argues that EMS companies need to fully adopt Industry 4.0 in order to seize the opportunities arising from the very aggressive growth targets projected for this geography. Whoever has the strongest supply chain will win the business, he explains, and that comes from being able to increase operational capabilities through accurate data automation, especially the quoting process. Eric notes that in his latest EMSNOW Tour of India he saw CalcuQuote implemented in many EMS operations. The discussion covers details of the features and benefits of the platform. The two conclude that moving fast is critical to capturing the promises of the EMS market in India.
EMSNOW learns about Vinrox Technologies from Co-Founder and CEO Ashvin Navadia. This relatively new (est. 2018) EMS in western India is dedicated to an OEM’s three most critical requirements: high quality PCBAs delivered on time, at a fair price. Ashvin explains his background and how his company’s unique value proposition serves the blazing hot market for electronics manufacturing services in India. This company was one we visited on the EMSNOW On Tour India this fall and Ashvin impressed our team with his visionary strategy. They discuss the region’s prospects for competing with China on the global stage, as well as Vinrox’s target end markets, expanding capabilities and unique differentiators. You won’t want to miss this insightful conversation about this rapidly changing area of the world.
EMSNOW is briefed on White Horse Laboratories’ expansion into the Americas by Jen Casey, Regional Sales Manager – Americas. Having spent 20 years in the broker world, Jen is well versed on the value of the work White Horse Labs offers for counterfeit risk mitigation on components that may be reaching their date code expiration and so forth. She explains some of their other service offerings, including programming, failure analysis, logistics, and tariff management. One development that she noted is the launch of SAE’s AS6171, which is more flexible than the older AS 6081 and has brought new efficiency to that counterfeit component certification process. This information packed discussion is well worth a listen.
Electronics manufacturing in Mexico and South America is evolving quickly in response to global trends. In this insightful conversation with industry veteran Heriberto Cuevas, Sales Manager and Team Leader, Mexico and South America, Koh Young America, EMSNOW gets an update about the trends and market shifts. This dynamic geography has steadily risen in the value chain, producing high quality, complex electronics for medical as well as the traditional 3As – automotive, appliances, and aerospace.
The discussion includes the synergies between market sectors in the region, impressions from the recent SMTA show in Chicago, the role of AI in electronics manufacturing, and news about upcoming Koh Young America technical webinars.
Koh Young Academy webinars are intended to improve customers’ and potential customers’ skills and knowledge about Koh Young AOI systems. These webinars will launch November 19, and will take place every two months after that. Topics will reflect customer feedback data. EMSNOW will be on the look out for more information, so check our Coming Events sections on our home page to sign up.
EMSNOW catches up with Dale Ford, Chief Analyst for the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) for this exclusive, must-see conversation about supply chain trends in this critical part of EMS companies’ financial well-being. Fresh from his association’s Executive Conference, Dale unpacks the latest data about the component categories that matter most: what’s behind the recent memory chip shortages, what the end markets tell us about where growth will come from, and how tariffs impact the component channel. In Part 1 of this data-packed analysis, they start at a 30,000 foot level, but get into the details of what EMS needs to know about what happened in 2025, and where 2026 is headed. Part 2 of this interview follows.
In Part 2 of this essential interview Dale Ford, Chief Analyst of ECIA explains his interpretation of semiconductor cycles and what it means for the overall industry. He goes deep into specific semiconductor categories, how the cycles impact the component channel, and what we can expect from where we are in this specific cycle. The conversation then turns to interpreting economist forecasts and a new AI-driven analyst tool employed at ECIA for pulsing the CEOs, and the implications of the accelerating rate of growth in electronics.
The discussion concludes with news about ECIA’s decision to offer its reports for sale to non-members, and how and where those can be accessed,. (www.ecianow.org/purchase-stats-reports).
Don’t miss this wide-ranging, 2-part conversation for an expert analysis of where the industry is headed in 2026.’s
Here’s a link to Part 1>>
Rajendra Velagapudi, Managing Director & CEO, Cyient DLM updates EMSNOW on his company’s most recent quarterly results and recent strategic initiatives. Cyient DLM (Design-Led Manufacturing) was one of the companies visited on the On Tour India trip, and Eric continues the conversation from last month digging more deeply into what it means to be ‘design led’.
Rajendra explains the difference between ‘build to print’ and ‘build to spec’ and how this change of focus brings more value to customers. Cyient DLM is very strong in highly regulated end markets, including defense, aerospace, EV, and medical systems, he says, which reflects his own engineering background and experience.
The discussion also covers how the growth in the domestic market for electronics is a very healthy element in the overall prospects for India.
This conversation helps provide the background and context to understand why India continues to be of critical interest to anyone following global trends in electronics manufacturing.
EMSNOW reports for the last time in 2025 from Bangalore where Eric has attended the electronica/productronica trade show. In this final podcast he describes the atmosphere at the show as very high energy, and compares it to the ones in Munich, and elsewhere. He reports on some of the EMSNOW advertisers he met as well as new EMS companies in India that were not on his tour itinerary. He also comments on some of his overall impressions of the industry in India, and shares what comes next.
Listeners should look for a complete report in the near future, which will be offered at no charge to the industry.
EMSNOW is very grateful to the Global Electronics Association's India chapter for the in-country support and logistics.
As always, EMSNOW is very grateful to our sponsors:
CalcuQuote: Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Koh Young Technology: True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI
TrustedPartsGenuine electronic components from only authorized sources
EMSNOW reports on our last two EMS visits on this OnTour India: InCap and Indic EMS Electronics. Eric tells us whom he met with at each company and some details about what makes each unique. As he explains, there is no one way to run an EMS business and this tour has certainly highlighted that fact.
InCap is a global EMS that first became a public company on the Helsinki stock exchange in 1997. Its India facility has been in operation for 18 years as a pure EMS, with a streamlined, local management team empowered to make decisions quickly. They export around 90% of what they make, mainly to Europe, but other countries as well. Eric describes what he learned about the challenges and opportunities faced by a foreign company setting up EMS in India. InCap has been very successful, boasting it hasn't lost a customer in that facility in its 18 year history. On the podcast, we hear about InCap's expansion plans, typical customer market sector, and future expectations for growth.
Indic EMS Electronics is a domestic EMS focused on both traditional EMS and ODM services - 85% EMS/15% ODM currently. One thing that was clear from this tour, Eric commented, was it strives to do EMS differently. It exports about 75% of its products from its current facility in India. A second facility is under construction, and Eric was invited to tour the site, which proved very interesting. The contractor is a Japanese firm, Eric explains, chosen for expertise in sustainable architecture, and the new facility is expected to be leading edge in many respects.
Next on the agenda is Productronica/Electronica India: be on the lookout for one more podcast about those meetings.
EMSNOW continues to be very grateful to our sponsors:
CalcuQuote: Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Koh Young Technology: True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI
TrustedPartsGenuine electronic components from only authorized sources
EMSNOW travels to Mysore to visit two EMS: Cyient DLM and Kaynes Technology. Cyient DLM (which stands for Design-Led Manufacturing) has a unique, engineering-heavy story, Eric explains, with 4 facilities in India and a U.S. facility acquired last year. The company has a 30+ year history in India and specializes in critical products in regulated industries, e.g. aerospace, medical, industrial and most recently semiconductor manufacturing. They pride themselves on their sticky customer relationships averaging 12 years.
The team met with the CEO of Kaynes Technology who describe themselves as providing 'IoT solutions-enabled integrated electronics manufacturing with end-to-end capabilities across the electronics system design manufacturing (ESDM) spectrum.' They have recently become a public company and are committed to developing semiconductor and PCB fab capabilities in India.
For those who have been paying attention to these podcasts, you know EMSNOW was supposed to visit three companies on this leg of the tour; sadly the third company's CEO took ill and they had to cancel. So the group was able to go on a tour of the Mysore Castle, which Eric describes enthusiastically. It's a fascinating glimpse of the rich history and spectacular culture of this part of India. The podcast ends with insights into the engineering powerhouse represented by these two companies and India in general.
EMSNOW is grateful to our sponsors for OnTour India:
CalcuQuote: Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Koh Young Technology: True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI
TrustedPartsGenuine electronic components from only authorized sources
EMSNOW reports from Bangalore's aerospace/defense manufacturing region. Eric visits Centum Electronics and learns about its EMS history since its founding in 1994, and its expertise in highly complex manufacturing in regulated industries. The company has seen a surge in growth from companies moving manufacturing out of China and the U.S.
The discussion includes more general industry insights as Eric now has completed over half the visits planned for this tour; he shares his thoughts comparing the growth of India as an electronics manufacturing with how China evolved in the past few decades; how India benefits from China's experience; and what it might mean for the industry.
Eric expressed his thanks to EMSNOW sponsors and to the Global Electronics Association's in-country managers who have been very helpful in the logistics and support.
CalcuQuote: Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Koh Young Technology: True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI
TrustedPartsGenuine electronic components from only authorized sources
EMSNOW reports on our last EMS visit in the Pune area. inYantra Technlogies is located outside Pune in the Satara District a beautiful area where the other industry is flower-growing. inYantra has been in business for 25 years and recently entered into a joint venture with cable and wire harness company Volex. This relationship gives inYantra the ability to offer full service support to its customers and enables the rapid growth the company is forecasting: they expect 50% YoY growth through 2027 and are expanding their facility from 200,000 to 500,000 square feet.
Eric details the conversations he had with the very knowledgeable leadership team about this fully digitalized and well managed facility. The customer base is primarily automotive, but is expanding into industrial, consumer and computers. Listen to the full podcast to learn about their unique business strategy.
We are very grateful to our sponsors:
CalcuQuote: Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Koh Young Technology: True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI
TrustedPartsGenuine electronic components from only authorized sources
EMSNOW reaches the halfway mark on the On Tour India trip with visits to two EMS companies in Pune. In this podcast, Eric Miscoll describes his visit to two EMS 100% focused on the automotive market, which is typical of the Pune region. Both companies provide dedicated electronics manufacturing services for the automotive market which includes all types of both EV and ICE vehicles. Varroc builds component and PCB sub assemblies and then ships these products for box-build and final assembly by the customer. Varroc also has polymer, metallic, and lighting capabilities and has opened a PCB fab, a trend Eric is noticing.
Uno Minda Katolec Electronics Services is a joint venture between Uno Minda and the Japanese Katolec, which was established in 2017. It is rapidly outgrowing its current facility in Pune. Eric explains details about the company and its history operating in India, as well as future plans for expansion.
You will want to listen to Eric’s analysis as he compares the two dedicated automotive EMS companies to other iterations of the EMS model he has encountered in his travels.
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EMSNOW arrives in Pune late in the evening to report on two visits conducted earlier in Vadodara: Aimtron and Vinrox Technologies. These are two impressive EMS with very different histories and capabilities. Aimtron has been in operation for several decades and interestingly got its start in a facility outside Chicago in the US. It prides itself on its electronic design and manufacturing services integration and serves customers in the industrial, medical, automotive and defense sectors. Having the facility in the US enables it to begin customer relationships in the Americas and then transfer the program to India seamlessly; this is proving to be a very successful model.
Vinrox Technologies was started in 2018 and has a different approach, as Eric explains in the podcast. Their growth strategy and customer sectors are focused on industrial, energy and IIoT/telecom. They have SMT lines as well as box build and are expanding in other arenas as well. Eric goes into detail about their growth strategy.
The Vadodara region is becoming a PCB fab hub, Eric explains, with a robust university community feeding skilled workers who are eager to learn about electronics manufacturing. An issue that has been raised more than once, he notes, is the bottleneck getting components. This is said to come from the lack of distributor warehouses in India and the added time needed to get materials through customs into the factories. EMSNOW will be addressing this and other topics in subsequent podcasts and/or the final country report.
Eric expressed his gratitude to the teams at both these EMS companies for the high energy and candid conversations.
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EMSNOW reports from a hotel in Vadodara where Eric traveled to from New Delhi after a visit to Syrma SGS. This podcast includes details about that visit and continuing observations about the EMS industry in India. Eric discusses the current growth forecasts for the EMS industry that are being put forth: from a baseline of $US 100 billion currently to potentially $US 400 or even 500 billion by 2030. The enthusiasm and energy is palpable, he notes, and with the engineering talent, the solid and strategic support from the government, and the plans to build out the PCB and component ecosystem, these are not an unrealistic expectations.
EMSNOW is grateful to the Global Electronics Association for logistics help, and to support from its sponsors:
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EMSNOW reports on the first day of visits on the India Tour to Sahasra Electronics and Dixon Technologies in the Noida region southeast of New Delhi. Eric shares the insights that are only possible from on the ground experience: what it's like to get around in the region, as well as details about the two companies. He comments that there is not one right way to run an EMS company: so many factors - from customers served to type of equipment chosen, history of the business and background of founders - determine how the business operates. He reflects on what makes these two companies unique, as well as what he expects from the rest of the week's meetings.
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EMSNOW will be reporting from India for the next several weeks. Eric Miscoll has scheduled on-site meetings with 14 mainly domestic companies, but also some global EMS with facilities in this important rising geography. The tour schedule includes companies in the New Delhi area, Gujarat, Pune, and of course the Bangalore area.
In this initial podcast, he shares insights about current business conditions in India for electronics, based on a conversation with Global Electronics Association's Vice President Gaurab Majumdar. EMSNOW is grateful to the Global Electronics Association's local staff in India who are assisting with tour logistics.
EMSNOW is also very grateful to our tour sponsors. Their continuing support of EMSNOW on Tour enables the reports and insights that we offer to the industry at no charge. We ask our audience to give special consideration to these companies in your purchasing decisions. This India tour especially takes considerable resources and we are very glad to have the support of these companies:
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EMSNOW learns about Aimtron's unique operational strategy from Sneh Shah, Director. Aimtron is unique among EMS companies having started with a U.S. facility and subsequently opening the two facilities in India. The discussion covers Aimtron's full spectrum of services, adding robust design support to traditional EMS. They work with customers from the concept and feasibility stage to full production. Sneh explains how their investment in DfM and other optimization software, along with their ability to give customers U.S. based quality and certifications and full end-to-end integration, as well as the balancing of operations between North America and India, is a true competitive advantage.
The discussion includes an update on current business conditions in India for electronics manufacturing, recent announcements about investments in local component manufacturing, and Sneh's insights about prospects for the industry there.
EMSNOW will be visiting Aimtron's facility in Vadodara during its upcoming tour of EMS companies in India.
EMSNOW and Season Group's President and CEO Carl Hung discuss the 50-year history of Carl's family business and the industry as a whole. Carl marvels at the incredible resilience of EMS companies that have survived the challenges of the past 20 years, and shares insights into how Season Group has managed. The conversation covers the current disruptions of tariffs and geopolitical shifts and how companies that survived the supply chain constraints of Covid are adapting to these new challenges and emerging even stronger. Season Group is well-positioned and Carl explains exactly what their competitive advantage brings to their customer base. It's a fascinating and inspiring conversation.
In this insight packed interview EMSNOW speaks with Francisco Almada Lobo, CEO of Critical Manufacturing MES. Critical has just hosted their most recent Summit where 600 attendees met in Portugal to explore the opportunities and challenges of MES. From the first session, the topic of AI 'set the stage on fire' with all the possibilities these new technologies bring to the table.
Francisco explains the evolution of MES data strategies: originally the software worked with discrete transactions; then the software engineers were able to enrich this base with contextual information allowing more analytics by training through classical machine learning. AI opens up massive new capabilities, but it too is quickly evolving.
Critical Manufacturing is helping customers navigate it all by hosting events like the Summit and publishing detailed white papers and training. Digital transformation is dependent on the level of digitalization that the operation has achieved, he says, and that isn't something that can be purchased, but must happen in partnership with a partner that understands the industry deeply.
This is a must-listen interview for any EMS grappling with how to benefit from these new AI technologies.
EMSNOW catches up with Jeroen Tuik, CEO, Connect Group to discuss their recent announcement about expanded operations in the U.S. Connect Group is a top tier EMS in Europe with global facilities; its facility in Romania was featured on EMSNOW/in4ma’s 2024 On Tour. Connect Group has a complete suite of services and is one of the Top 20 European-based EMS. Their customers are primarily in the industrial/automotive and defense sectors.
Jeroen explains that the timing and strategy behind the establishment of the new U.S. entity was driven by growing customer demand for American-made products and the need for localized, responsive manufacturing solutions, a trend that began with the disruptions during and after Covid. The discussion covers a number of dynamics in play during the decision-making process, including why Atlanta and why they decided to build greenfield capabilities rather than through an acquisition. Jeroen also provides details about how their Mexico facility fits into their overall Americas go to market plan to best serve their customers.
In an information-packed wrap-up, the EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour 2025 team takes a step back from the Central and Eastern European EMS facilities visited to comment on the overall trends in the industry at this critical point in time. Dieter provides a data-backed characterization of the overall EMS market in Europe, including many fascinating datapoints teasing in4ma's extensive market research. The two discuss the key market sectors driving growth in Europe; the impact (or lack thereof) of the U.S. tariff situation, the dramatic changes in manufacturing capabilities, including the increase in clean room capacity; automation and labor trends; as well as a forecast for the last half of 2025 and beyond. It's a thoughtful and clear snapshot of electronics manufacturing in Europe from two of the arguably most knowledgeable experts in this fascinating and essential industry.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
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Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
EMSNOW and in4ma's Dieter Weiss discuss the Third in4ma European EMS and PCB Forum held this year in Bonn Germany. They go deep on the attendees, networking opportunities, quality of data and comparisons with previous events. This is the premiere event for executive management teams, well-vetted suppliers, and investors who return each year for the superb data analysis and frank industry discussion about the ever-changing European electronics manufacturing business.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
The EMSNOW and in4ma Tour 2025 makes its last stop at the Kitron facility in the Czech Republic. Kitron is a global public EMS listed on the Oslo exchange; it is #6 on in4ma's list of Top European EMS with facilities across the globe. Our two experts discuss in depth Kitron's history, global footprint, background and market strategy, including recent activities to maintain that #6 European EMS position in these turbulent times. The conversation then turns to the facility in Lanškroun, Czech Republic and a detailed analysis of the operation there. The insights gained from the EMSNOW and in4ma 2025 Tour build on the knowledge base built up over these last few years and is essential listening for all those doing business in the electronics manufacturing arena.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
Recorded after a long drive to the Czech Republic from their last visit to several FLEX facilities in Hungary, EMSNOW and in4ma's Dieter Weiss discuss FLEX's amazing advanced manufacturing capabilities. The first facility was a highly automated manufacturing operation dedicated to serving primarily the automotive sector; the second was a plant serving both automotive manufacturing including a clean room certified area, as well as the industrial and computing sectors; they then toured a new facility being developed for primarily automotive customers and other industrial programs; and finally a unique non-Flex facility operating as a 'proving ground' for all types of vehicles and related products. Both of these experienced EMS experts were highly impressed with these tours. Conclusion: FLEX has rightly earned its reputation as a world class electronics manufacturer. Listen to their detailed insights on this fascinating podcast.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour visits Eurocircuits in Hungary to cover a very unique service offering in the electronics manufacturing ecosystem: PCB fabrication and PCBA assembly for prototypes. Eurocircuits' business model is laser-focused on this part of the industry that is less well known compared to EMS. The discussion covers our behind-the-scenes glimpse of Eurocircuits' unique data driven operations.
Eurocircuits is the largest prototype operation in Europe, and also the largest PCB manufacturer in Central/Eastern Europe. The model is unique because of the combination of prototyping and PCB manufacturing and assembly. Eric and Dieter unpack the amazing technology and software behind the industry-leading turnaround times that Eurocircuits offers its OEM and EMS customers. The conversation includes the background and history of the company, who they met with and what they learned about this fascinating and critical part of electronics manufacturing.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
The EMSNOW and in4ma team spends the day in Hungary visiting two Zollner Elektronik facilities there. The podcast discussion begins with an overview of how this well established German EMS began in 1988, before the reunification. Manfred Zollner's family history and deep concern for employees is legendary, and in clear evidence on this visit. Dieter and Eric cover the details of the two facilities, one in Vac and the other in Szügy Hungary, by describing the scope and capabilities of the operations, the culture and people that make it all possible and how this focus on low volume, extremely complex electronic systems in the industrial, medical and automotive sectors is expertly executed.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour 2025 moves to Hungary with visits to the Katek and Prettl Electronics facilities. The conversation begins with in4ma's most recent data about EMS companies operating in Hungary and a brief summary of the context of the industry there. Then they turn to the details of the day's visits, including the global footprint of the parent organizations, the market sectors served, and the executives they spoke to.
These two EMS industry experts shared thoughts on the challenges of market analysis in the ever-expanding end market segments for electronics, the nuances of the ODM vs joint design manufacturing models in terms of who owns the IP; observations about notable automation investments at both facilities; and the impact of U.S. tariffs on global M&A. The conversation ends with a warning about aggressive Chinese efforts to acquire companies in Europe, especially in the automotive sector in response to tariff threats.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
On this third podcast, the conversation covers two more Central European EMS: Fideltronik in Poland and InCap's facility in Slovakia. At revenues of around $400 million, with 2400 employees, Fideltronik is a family owned EMS with a unique story. They are the largest Polish EMS and the discussion includes their organizational structure, general comments about the customer base and a detailed discussion of their automation strategy.
InCap, is a global EMS with facilities around the world and a very entrepreneurial culture, including an energetic CEO with great global visibility. The podcast concludes with a thoughtful discussion of how many ways there are to conduct an EMS enterprise, and the incredible innovation and creativity of the people that do this work.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
EMSNOW and Dieter Weiss discuss their visits to two very different EMS in Poland: one of many facilities of global EMS AsteelFlash and a medium sized domestic EMS, Nordes. They discuss the different business strategies, customer profiles, and footprints of the two, each successful in their own sphere.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
EMSNOW and Dieter Weiss from in4ma begin their 2025 tour of Central and Eastern European EMS in Poland. This podcast previews the tour by providing details and context for these visits. Dieter discusses current industry sentiment, some thoughts about the companies on the agenda and what listeners can expect from this important work.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors
CalcuQuote - Source, Quote, Purchase Smarter — All in One Platform.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999
Koh Young –True 3D Smart Factory Solutions, Powered by AI.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their generous support enables us to conduct these insightful tours and share critical industry intelligence. We invite you to explore how each of these innovative companies can enhance your operational efficiency and manufacturing capabilities.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
EMSNOW learns about Koh Young Technologies’ expansion into the Semicon and advanced packaging arena in North America from Joel Scutchfield, GM of SMT and Semicon Business Operations. Koh Young already has great traction in this arena with companies in Asia as the world leader in 3D measurement, but the market is less developed in the Americas. Expansion depends on engaging with new events, networks and end customers. Joel reports on the recent IEEE ECTC conference in Dallas; provides enlightening details about the Koh Young technology that focuses on advanced packaging and clean room manufacturing, and explains how they close the gap between SMT manufacturing and what happens in semiconductor manufacturing.
EMSNOW discusses supplier quality management with John Hartnett who is Director of Quality at independent distributor Freedom USA. Continuous improvement is embedded in Freedom USA's approach to ensuring the components they offer to customers meet the highest standards. Certifications like AS 6081, which is an aerospace standard specifically written for independent distributors, dictates what processes need to be in place to prevent counterfeit components. Hartnett explains what risk factors they are looking for when they investigate potential suppliers. The conversation covers industry issues that impact component availability including date code restrictions, challenges arising from tariffs, and how having the right processes in place enables them to stay ahead of disruptions.
This lively conversation with Indium Corporation's President and CEO Ross Berntson is full of positive energy about Indium and the electronics industry in general. EMSNOW learns about Berntson's own career journey after joining Indium in 1996 as a service technician. Now President and CEO, he shares his thoughts about the centrality of a clear vision of the future to successful leadership; to distributed decision-making, pushing that function out to where the data sits, and his absolute unwavering belief in the power of employee development.
He goes on to explain how Indium's collaboration with customers is not only for bringing a product to life, but the way that customer relationship is crafted to best serve both organizations.
Berntson ends the discussion with some exciting news about rare earth materials, specifically gallium, which is used extensively in electronics and is only currently processed in large quantities in China. Indium and Rio Tinto have partnered to announce the successful extraction of gallium from feed sourced at Rio Tinto’s Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. They intend to scale this operation to enable an Americas' source for this important material.
EMSNOW learns what drives a regional EMS in northern Wisconsin from SMT Corporation's COO Brian Lamers. This company has leveraged its strengths to provide a very unique and focused value proposition to companies that may get overlooked by the larger Tier 1 EMS. Lamers reveals how they actively seek partnerships with organizations that can clearly define their problems and demonstrate commitment to solving them. This problem-centric philosophy permeates every aspect of their operations—from employee development and engineering to prototyping and supply chain management. The conversation provides valuable insights into how regional EMS companies can thrive in a competitive and rapidly changing environment.
EMSNOW spends time with Patrick Freytag, who assumed the role of President and CEO at Creation Technologies at the start of 2025. Patrick joked about his bad timing as he joined Creation Technologies as CFO in 2019 right before Covid hit and then moved into the CEO role hours before the tariff disruption. However, he commented that 'right into the frying pan' is a business climate in which he thrives.
The discussion centers around this top 50 EMS' laser focused go-to-market strategy, which Patrick explains is to solve the complex manufacturing problems of aerospace/defense, medtech, and tech enabled industrial customers. This is a consistent theme for the company throughout its history that has gained momentum in the last 6 years through strategic acquisitions, and a relentless focus on customer 'intimacy'. Patrick describes Creation Technologies' expertise in program management as having a level of engagement not often seen in practice in EMS companies that have fewer resources and competencies, especially in supply chain. He reveals more about his company's unique approach and his views about current industry challenges in this thoughtful interview.
In this thoughtful interview with Cicor Group CEO Alexander Hagemann, EMSNOW explores Cicor's remarkable journey over the past nine years to evolve into the pan-European EMS powerhouse it is today. Laser-focused on high mix/low volume customers that want strategic partnerships, Alexander has executed a down-to-earth strategy to streamline the organization and focus on creating a culture of integrity, trust and operational excellence. The wide-ranging conversation covers Alexander's leadership style, (he 'hates corporate politics'), Cicor's competitive advantage, acquisition strategy, and his thoughts on the current state of the industry and how it has changed in the past 10 years.
Luminovo is a software solution focused on improving the OEM and EMS industry’s quoting and procurement processes using AI. The company’s North American Business and Operations Lead Sam Mason explains his company’s recent expansion to North America and developments in the Luminovo platform.
The goal of the solution is to take bad component part data and harmonize it by comparing it to their continuously updated part library. This offering is already up and running; next step is provide a Chat-GPT style interface and help customers improve their internal processes. Using the platform is a game-changer to help customers speed up their quoting and procurement processes and supercharge their workflows. Sam explains that the Luminovo engineering team is the key to their success.
Luminovo will be at PCB East in Booth 504 on April 30. They are also hosting two webinars: May 6th, ‘How tariffs impact the future of the EMS industry in the US’ on May 6 and ‘How AI Agents will transform the AI Industry.’ on May 13. Go to Luminovo.com to sign up.
EMSNOW learns about Cetec ERP from Senior Consultant Scott Ryan. This software solution is specifically designed for the small to medium tier EMS where an all-in-one ERP system that seamlessly connects to MES enables these companies to compete with larger competitors. The discussion includes specifics about the challenges faced by smaller teams stretched thin and wearing more hats, and therefore needing tools that are well integrated.
Scott’s deep understanding of electronics manufacturing shines through in this insightful conversation. He talks at length about the realities of working with EMS where there is less standardization of process because of the need to reflect the OEM customer’s way of operating. Cetec ERP accommodates the unique characteristics of the EMS world. Scott’s observations about how they adapt to varying data format, set-up and training requirements are a fascinating glimpse into the current state of the industry’s practices.
The conversation ends with news about Cetec ERP’s upcoming fall user event in Austin – ERPalooza 2025 – that promises to uplift customers and their processes with training, networking and Texas BBQ.
EMSNOW gets a preview of in4ma’s latest European EMS Industry Report from Dieter Weiss. This year’s report is based on participation from 427 European companies, which represents 42% of the total industry in Europe, Dieter explains. Highlights include the growth rates, how many companies have left the industry, and analysis of what these performance data means about the state of the industry. They discuss where the bright spots were in the market sectors served. Bottom line, he says, companies in Europe are very nervous. Dieter also discusses the current state of the European defense industry and the wake up call they received from the current US administration, current inventory levels, and a deep dive on the automotive sector.
And finally, they hint at another On Tour in Europe early this summer. It’s an insight-packed discussion with the premiere European EMS industry expert.
EMSNOW gets an update on activities of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) from its Executive Director, David Schild. David contends that while there are substantial changes in U.S. trade policy from the new administration, he’s confident that the bi-partisan ‘manufacture in the U.S.’ theme is still very much on the agenda. While PCBAA’s strategies and tactics will adjust to whatever happens, the main mission will go forward. He continues to meet with members, potential members and other manufacturing-oriented associations to forge the relationships to enable him to educate, advocate and legislate on behalf of the PCB industry.
The discussion also covers coming events for the industry where David will be available to meet, including IPC’s APEX 2025 in Anaheim, PCB East and PCB West, and the PCBAA annual meeting in Washington DC June 10-12.
Edita Dragolj, Co-founder and Partner Manager of GreenChips explains their AI-driven component marketplace to EMSNOW in this informative conversation. She explains the process for working with GreenChips for suppliers and customers with the goal of addressing excess inventory sustainably. The conversation covers the two business models available, how the components are verified, their global footprint and the overall goals of the organization and how it benefits the industry and the environment by reducing e-waste.
EMSNOW catches up with John Magee, President Sales and Operations, and Andy Barnett, Vice President of Business Development, at independent distributor Freedom. They share their insights into current market conditions at the beginning of 2025 for the industry and for Freedom's business. The discussion touches on what customers want in turbulent times, and how expectations have changed dramatically since the pandemic and through the supply chain allocations that followed. It is an insightful conversation about the place of an independent distributor in the component channel.
EMSNOW discusses the EMS industry in India with Vivek Khanna, CEO of INDIC EMS Electronics. Growth is continuing in 2025 at both the top level and with middle sector OEMs. It's a massive opportunity for the region and INDIC EMS is fully invested in the trend. Vivek describes his company's educational outreach to women, including training programs to alleviate potential labor shortages. The discussion includes how the electronics manufacturing ecosystem is evolving and developing in India. They also discuss INDIC EMS's Customer First culture, new capabilities in automation with their SAP upgrade, a new facility coming online in early 2026, and what's in store for the company in 2025.
EMSNOW speaks with David Loftus, President and CEO of the Electronic Component Industry Association (ECIA) to help component customers better understand the nuances of lead times. Now that we are a few years past the supply chain disruptions from the pandemic, it's a good time to reflect on what happened and what lessons were learned.
The leadership of the ECIA - comprising component manufacturers, their distributors and the independent sales reps - is committed to educating the industry on why there were so many false signals and miscommunication about inventory, especially semiconductors, and how the component channel has responded to build resiliency into the supply chain. It's a fascinating, must hear conversation with an industry expert who has a deep understanding of semiconductors.
For more information about this critical topic, David suggests ECIA's resource page for customers, www.ecianow.org/buyers-engineers.
EMSNOW gets an update on White Horse Laboratories' expansion from CEO Mark Rinehart. Mark explains that his company has expanded globally in response to customer geographic strategies. They are also offering an expanded range of services that evolved from their arsenal of counterfeit components detection methods; as counterfeiters get more sophisticated, they have added equipment and processes. We hear about their new DLA certification in the Cleveland lab, enabling AS6171 testing, and insights from their monthly inspection reports, which is posted on LinkedIn, and available on EMSNOW. It's a fascinating discussion revealing Mark's deep component supply chain insight.
EMSNOW learns about Austin, Texas based Cetec ERP’s unique cloud-based platform from Tanner Rogers, the company’s Senior Consultant. This is a platform designed for difficult manufacturing environments like EMS/PCBA and delivers an all-in-one SaaS suite from sales and quoting to inventory management, document management, shop floor control, quality management, and financial accounting. Tanner explains the evolution of the company from the product launch in 2015, how customers have responded to its cost effective and easy to use features, and why the pricing model has resonated so well with the electronics manufacturing industry.
Tanner invites EMSNOW readers to visit the team at APEX 2025 in Anaheim. They will be in Booth 2802.
EMSNOW discusses the challenges of using artificial intelligence in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments with Mycronic’s R&D Director AI Romain Roux. Romain observes that AI adoption in electronics manufacturing remains gradual, but is being driven by deep customer engagement and market trends. AI must serve human operators, not replace them, he contends. The discussion then goes deep into the specifics of Mycronic’s AI solution and its advantages, including on-premise server deployment with zero external data transmission, customer-specific neural network training, simulation-based implementation allowing manufacturers to validate AI performance without disrupting production, and minimal training time requirements (15-30 minutes). This is a must-watch interview about leading edge AI deployment.
EMSNOW discusses Delvitech’s inspection system platform with the company’s CEO Roberto Gatti. Delvitech will showcase its groundbreaking Horus system, an all-in-one AI native platform for both Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) and Solder Paste Inspection (SPI), at the upcoming IPC APEX Expo 2025 in Anaheim. The software/hardware systems are fast, fully integrated and agnostic to what is being inspected as it can be trained for different types of inspection, including microelectronics and chiplets. The conversation includes detail about how their proprietary neural networks elevate inspection from detection to prediction of potential errors in the process. This is the company’s initial launch in the U.S. market, and they look forward to meeting the industry at Booth 846 at IPC APEX Expo in Anaheim, CA on March 18-20.
EMSNOW caught up with Kevin Clue, VP Global Sales, High Flex, Mycronic to learn about their record-breaking financial performance in 2024 and their latest solutions. Kevin explains Mycronic’s evolution over the past 6 or 7 years from focusing on low-volume/high mix customers, and pick and place machines to offering a full line solution including screen printers, inspection and material handling. Especially as software/hardware integrations are increasingly important, Mycronic’s full line solution offers substantial efficiencies. He comments that customers continue to be concerned about talent shortages, so training and getting systems up and running is key.
Kevin then goes on to outline their APEX 2025 offering; he invites attendees to see them at Booth 1842 in Anaheim.
EMSNOW concludes our Special Assignment podcast series on the global VTech CMS facilities with a tour of two buildings in the industrial park in Tecate Mexico. Eric describes his experience in detail beginning with an easy trip over the border into Mexico from San Diego to Tecate where VTech uses a shelter program to staff two businesses there. The first building is a commercial audio speaker manufacturing facility acquired from QSC in 2021 that continues to build audio systems for indoor and outdoor music venues. The second building is a purpose-built EMS facility that started as an empty shell and is in the process of setting up SMT lines to enable VTech to provide regional EMS support for its global customers.
This compelling, must-listen podcast includes detailed observations about VTech's strategy as well as general thoughts about labor trends in Mexico, coming tariffs from new U.S. administration, why companies choose Mexico for 'the 3As (aerospace, automotive, and appliances) and why the 'near-shoring' strategy continues to gain momentum.
For more information: https://www.vtechcms.com/
In this podcast, recorded in Hong Kong, Eric describes his visit to the VTech CMS NPI Centre, which houses 100+ engineers providing electrical, mechanical and software engineering expertise to customers. Launched in 2020, the NPI Center operates at the center of the Shenzhen cluster of universities, new product incubators, and supplier ecosystem ensuring a vibrant, innovative community for 'new product realization.'
Eric shares his insights from the visit including the intense focus the engineers have on meeting customers where they are in the product development cycle. VTech CMS’ vast experience in electronics manufacturing enables customers to leverage EMS and ODM services, especially in the area of professional audio and IoT applications. Particularly impressive are the displayed certifications in both production and design, including medical and automotive.
The discussion previews the rest of the VTech CMS Special Assignment, including an exclusive interview with VTech CMS' CEO Andy Leung.
EMSNOW continues its travels with a stop in Dongguan, China. On special assignment for VTech's CMS division, EMSNOW focuses in this podcast on the VTech Science Park campus in China, and the company's manufacturing capabilities at this facility. Eric discusses the business strategy of the multiple SBUs, the level of automation and how they manage it, and the challenges of growing the business with very long-term customers, primarily from Japan and outside China. This facility does have capacity and is a very well established, experienced hardware manufacturing powerhouse. They also have considerable software and data analytic expertise in their Industry 4.0 lab. VTech CMS has over $1 billion in pure EMS revenue, and is ready to step into the next stage of growth. Stay tuned for more on this remarkable, yet little known company.
EMSNOW is on Special Assignment in Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, touring the VTech CMS facility there. This podcast covers background on this largest EMS company that you likely haven't heard much about. The VTech Group operates in 14 countries, with 25,000 employees, offering electronic toys, residential phones, baby monitors, and contract manufacturing services (CMS). It's the VTech CMS operation that we will be focusing on, as this Special Series continues over the next few weeks. Listen in to learn about VTech's Malaysia facility, industry trends in this vibrant region, and the history of this EMS ranked #26 on the Manufacturing Market Insider (MMI) Top 50 list.
On this their final podcast of the 2024 Tour, the EMSNOW - in4ma team discusses their visit to Lacon Group in Karlsfeld, Germany. This self-described 'smart EMS integrator' focuses on low volume, complex systems, with facilities in Germany and eastern Romania. The box-build facility in Karlsfeld assembles the complex cable harnesses built in Romania with PCBs and completes final assembly for OEM customers in the mobility (aerospace and rail), industrial, defense, and medical industries. They provide EMS, ODM, software development, cable assembly, and prototype services. The discussion covers details about Lacon's certifications, the global footprint, and the sheer variety of the customer base, which were very impressive.
The podcast concludes with a general discussion of the Tour and the insights gained from these invaluable on-site visits with EMS companies in eastern Europe.
Be on the lookout for the report which will be posted on EMSNOW.com by year's end, and offered at no charge to the industry.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
The EMSNOW-in4ma team describes their tour of the impressive Zollner facility in Satu Mare, Romania. The two have visited several other Zollner facilities in previous Tours and offered some insights into how this family-owned EMS keeps customer-centric policies at the forefront of their overall global strategy. The discussion includes the capabilities, scope and layout of this facility, and Zollner's commitment to the latest equipment upgrades, which are replicated across the globe. Dieter expressed surprise that he hadn't heard of some of the certifications they earned; and amazement that their state-of-the-art on-site IPC training boasted over 5,300 graduates. They discussed the rising labor costs and climbing cost of living in Romania and what that means to European manufacturing.
The conversation ends with some general comments about Romania EMS data from Dieter and a look ahead at the last company scheduled for EMSNOW-in4ma's On Tour 2024.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
EMSNOW talks with INDIC EMS’ Managing Director Vivek Khanna about his company’s aggressive plans for global growth. Vivek will be presenting at Electronica’s PCB Forum on the topic of India’s emergence as a global hardware manufacturing hub.
The EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour team attends a global corporate strategy meeting at Connect Group where Dieter also made a presentation. This podcast includes a brief history of this unique EMS company; then Dieter drills down into their capabilities, market segments served, global facilities footprint and future expansion plans. They discuss the challenges of developing an automation strategy for high mix/low volume manufacturing, Connect Group's innovative efforts to streamline prototyping processes and inventory management, the importance of supporting domestic European PCB manufacturing, and why an OEM looking for an EMS with the right profile 'fit' would do well to consider Connect Group.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
This episode of EMSNOW On Tour with in4ma, recorded in a hotel in Timișoara, Romania, begins with some background on the electronics industry in Romania and key historical events from Timișoara. The tour visited Kimball Electronics Romania and Systronics/Cicor in an area that includes a number of other EMS. The discussion covers the reasons and advantages of this region; the sectors represented, level of automation, how companies save energy, and what stood out about these two specific facilities as they provide competitive advantage to their customers. For example, they were especially impressed with the focus on changeover speeds to increase overall capacity, and the quality of the supply base. Dieter also shares updates to his market research data on Romania, making this a must-hear podcast for anyone interested in the European EMS industry.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
After three flights and a three-hour drive, Eric and Dieter arrive in Romania for visits to two very different EMS facilities: Pantel Elektronik, a family-owned company based in Germany and Flex Romania. The two discuss their impressions, including thoughts on the stable workforce in Romania, how the logistics, software development and customer service works at Pantel Electronik, the astonishing scope and scale of Flex's operation in Romania. It's an in-depth account of these two highly successful EMS in this important region for Europe.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Reporting from the airport on their way to Romania, Eric and Dieter discuss their visit with Teltonika EMS's facility in Vilnius, Lithuania. Teltonika began this EMS division in 2019 and has been rapidly expanding manufacturing capacity to both support its telematics and IoT operations and offer high volume, highly automated manufacturing to the industry. Their highly automated PCB manufacturing facility is due to be operational next year. The discussion covers Teltonika's strategy behind reviving PCB manufacturing in Europe, how being part of a greater OEM brings advantages, and what especially impressed Eric and Dieter about this unique company during this phase of their tour.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
The 2024 edition of EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour will focus on Eastern European EMS. Eric and Dieter are in Lithuania where they discuss Dieter's earlier visit to EMS companies in Estonia: Tepcomp Oü, Ouman Estonia Oü, and InCap Estonia Oü. They then preview the week's travel plans to meet with companies in Lithuania and Romania before traveling to Munich for electronica and one last EMS tour. Dieter comments that in the past few months the main thing the industry is focused on is supply chain problems. When will things improve? The answers are surprising. It will be an interesting week, so don't miss an episode.
EMSNOW-in4ma On Tour is very grateful to our sponsors.
CalcuQuote - Empowering Supply Chain Visibility and Efficiency.
Cogiscan – Meeting the needs of high-reliability manufacturers since 1999.
Koh Young – Intelligent Inspection.
TrustedParts.com - Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
EMSNOW catches up with Michael ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, White Horse Laboratories’ new Director of Quality, a new role within this growth-focused global testing company. Mitch came to White Horse from the customer side, with a deep background in aerospace and aviation. He describes his experience during Covid doing lifetime buys of key components and then having verification challenges; his decision to take on this new role within White Horse and how his skill set fits in with their expansion plans. White Horse is adding new services, and expanding into new geographies and Mitch is enthusiastic about their new programming, packaging, and logistics support; their factory audit program, and other testing services that go way beyond counterfeit detection.
David Schild of the PCBAA offers EMSNOW an update about the fast moving events impacting the PCB industry in the U.S. including the supply chain disruptions that are expected from the dockworkers’ strike, weather events, wars in Europe and the Mideast and so on. It’s not “if” there will be global disruptions, but “when”, David asserts, so it is even more critical to establish secure and resilient domestic supply chains that incorporate the entire electronics ecosystem. The discussion includes the recent CHIPS act award to TTM in Syracuse NY, the #1 supplier of PCBs for the defense industry, and the expected impact of next month’s congressional elections. It’s an information packed conversation that reminds us all that “Chips don’t’ float!”
EMSNOW learns about dispensing solutions provider Axxon Mycronic from Jeff Leal, Director of Business Development and Strategy. The discussion starts with background about the history of Axxon, which was originally a Chinese company and was acquired by Mycronic in 2016. Now the plan is to bring these comprehensive dispensing solutions to the rest of the world, starting with the new subsidiary in Guadalajara, Mexico. Axxon has nearly 1000 employees laser focused on the full range of dispensing applications, from wafer level to large volume dispensing in the automotive industry. The blend of Chinese/Swedish business culture adds to the value for customers; Jeff says they can provide dispensing technology for any liquid applied to any kind of electronics from the front end to the back end. EMSNOW encourages those attending the SMTA Expo in Guadalajara next week to stop by Axxon Mycronic’s Booth 215 and arrange for a tour of their new facilities minutes away from the show.
EMSNOW queries Zedric Ochoa, President and Jayson Alfonso, EVP of Omega GTI about the evolution of this unique distributor. The discussion covers the company’s footprint in Silicon Valley and SE Asia, the journey from independent distributor to having franchised lines, their customer profile which includes OEMs and ODMs as well as EMS, and their customer-driven growth into a wide range of services. They are helping customers with excess inventory, logistics, kitting and warehouse services and OEM/EMS matchmaking. They also talk about what they are seeing in terms of a tentative market turnaround. It’s a great conversation with a distributor with unique capabilities. For more information, go to https://omegagti.com/.
EMSNOW speaks with Rosemary Coates, Founder and Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute for an update from the front lines of this growing trend. Rosemary describes her background in supply chain in the electronics industry, and how she came to the decision to develop the tools and methodology to help companies evaluate their global manufacturing strategies. Drawing on her deep expertise, she talks about the mission of the Reshoring Institute, the scope of their work as a non-profit keeping consulting costs down, and teaching the next generation of executives about manufacturing. She shares her insights about the impact of the recent government initiatives on reshoring trends, and advice to companies trying to optimize their global manufacturing footprint.
Oshri Cohen, CEO of AI-based software provider Cybord, explains to EMSNOW how this solution finds non-conforming material coming into the PCB manufacturing process. In the past year a lot has happened in this arena and Oshri outlines the trends: EMS companies have become much more open to adoption of this groundbreaking technology to prevent not only counterfeit components but any defects arising from bad transportation or storage practices. EMS and OEMs are increasingly looking for ways to automate the inspection process to ensure their AVL and restrictions on country of origin requirements are adhered to. Oshri shares a video about a new solution – Real-Time Interceptor (RTI) – that will be available later this year.
EMSNOW gets an update about EMS company Libra Industries from its CEO Andrew Williams. Andrew just passed his one year mark as CEO and is setting ambitious growth goals for the company. He explains the history of the current Libra Industries footprint, with its two EMS facilities in Cleveland and Dallas, its precision machining capabilities from the Gem City acquisition in Dayton and the acquisition of a Tier 1 EMS facility in Mexico. The conversation covers what he sees as Libra’s key differentiators as a full suite manufacturer for highly complex systems integration. The discussion includes this industry veteran’s views on recent EMS challenges, the ever changing OEM/EMS relationship, the importance of managing the delicate balance of too little/too much inventory, as well as the right investment balance between human capital and automation. It is a fascinating discussion and well worth your time.
EMSNOW interviews Lou Hughes, the new CEO of Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) about his background and insights into his new role at this unique global EMS. He explains how he will shepherd IMI into the next phase of its journey. He will be reviewing the manufacturing footprint and corporate structure, to increase efficiency and make sure each person in the company understands his/her role and importance to the company’s overall success. He explains his focus in the first 100 days of his leadership in Part One of this thoughtful conversation.
In the second part of EMSNOW’s interview with the new CEO of IMI Lou Hughes, the two go deeper into plans for the company’s future. The discussion covers IMI’s distinctive competitive edge as a mid-tier EMS competing with the big guys, his focus on automation, developing healthy relationships with customers based on ‘fairness’, his introduction of ‘challenger selling,’ and the long term benefits of a shorter supply chain. It’s an insightful conversation from a CEO with a determined vision for success.
EMSNOW discusses in4ma’s European EMS Mid-Year Survey Report with study author Dieter Weiss. Dieter’s methodology relies on what he calls ‘real numbers’ i.e. actual reported performance data rather than general forecasts or rumours, resulting in unshakeable benchmarking data for sound decision-making.
Part One of this discussion focuses on the the dramatic slowdown this year in European EMS. They discuss the different market sectors that are showing strength and weakness, and go deeper into the reasons why the first half of 2024 has been so challenging. They discuss the current status of excess inventory challenges; how the ‘big three’ players – Foxconn, Flex, and Jabil which represent about 30% of the revenues in Europe – impact the trends; and what everyone wants to know, which is, ‘where have all the orders gone?’
For more information about this important research, go to www.in4ma.de.
EMSNOW discusses in4ma’s European EMS Mid-Year Survey Report with study author Dieter Weiss.
Part Two begins with an explanation from Dieter about the thinking behind his new metric, Revenue/SMT line. They then turn to Dieter’s forecast for what’s ahead for the industry, how EMS companies should be preparing now, and why OEMs should commit to financially healthy electronics manufacturing services providers. They close by announcing their fall EMSNOW/in4ma On Tour plans.
For more information about this important research, go to www.in4ma.de.
EMSNOW learns about component distribution trends in India from Rakesh Kumar, Sales and Business Development Director for Win Source Electronics. Rakesh is based in that growing market for EMS. He describes how and where the growth is occurring, and where the products are going, including electric vehicles, other subsystems for automobiles, renewable energy, and smart phones among other markets. He shares his insights into how the eco-system is evolving, the current state of the inventory overhang, his forecast for the next few quarters and how Win Source’s online platform helps customers manage their supply chain.
Roberto Gatti, CEO of automated optical inspection company Delvitech SA, explains to EMSNOW how artificial intelligence is totally integrated into their solution, enabling their system to go beyond what is currently possible with AOI technology. The AI is not an add-on commodity but an integral part of the engineering. This approach reduces waste by preventing errors in real time and by inspecting the board without destroying it. The discussion also includes details of how this system learns, which makes it capable of inspecting odd-shaped components, metal and plastic parts, and responding quickly to new board designs.
EMSNOW caught up with Joel Scutchfield, General Manager of SMT Business Operations & Director of Sales, Koh Young America, Inc. to learn how Koh Young has responded to inspection requirements in the system-in-package and semiconductor manufacturing environment. He discusses the pace of trends like reshoring semiconductor, packaging, and substrate manufacturing activities to the Americas and how Koh Young’s technology is evolving to meet the needs of these environments. He shares his insights about where this is going and how fast companies will be able to ramp up. It’s an information-packed conversation about a fast-moving global shift from an industry expert.
Eric and Dieter discuss the last company visit to DBK EMS, an electronics company founded in 1946 to develop heating systems for post-war Germany; now the EMS division serves that end market and others in Europe. The managers they talked with asserted the belief that in order to be competitive in Germany, you must automate manufacturing and this was evident in the lines they saw. The two experts then engage in a collegial and insightful discussion of the state of the European EMS industry as they saw it during these two weeks on the road. They say goodbye until next time, after noting the accomplishments of their ground-breaking trip.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globallyLuminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAsMycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to lifeTrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
Eric and Dieter unpack the invaluable data and insights presented at this year's successful in4ma EMS Forum in Ulm, Germany. This invitation-only event for EMS and PCB executives was mostly in German and covered the challenges of running a profitable business in these tumultuous times. The two discuss the overall business mood of the CEOs in attendance, the theme of the event, a summary of each presentation and when and where the next event will take place.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globallyLuminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAsMycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to lifeTrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
The tour spends another day in Germany with a visit to TQ Systems, the 3rd largest EMS in Germany. The discussion begins with Dieter's explanation of this family owned company's history and global strategy; the facility they visited was acquired in 2012. They discuss what they saw on their visit: a focus on both automation and workforce training. Eric and Dieter share their thoughts about the importance of turning down unprofitable business and seeking out long term partners. It's an insightful discussion about critical industry practices, especially as the overall economy gets tighter.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globallyLuminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAsMycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to lifeTrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
The EMSNOW and in4ma team travels within Germany to visit with two unique EMS: Hekatron and Jopp Electronic are both OEMs that have launched divisions to enable them to offer electronic manufacturing services to the industry. Hekatron EMS is a division of Swiss Securitas Group, a company that makes security and alarm systems. Jopp Electronics is primarily in automotive electronics. This episode's discussion explores the implications of this history for these highly automated and well run factories and provides a glimpse into the advantages of the hybrid business model.
After a long day, Eric and Dieter are on the German border with France after visiting French EMS éolane. Dieter explains this company's global footprint and position within the European EMS industry. They discuss the meeting with the new CEO, including current market sectors served, plans for the future, and the technical capabilities of this unique company. The conversation then turns to a preview of the next few days of meetings.EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globallyLuminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAsMycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to lifeTrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
Episode 6 covers Eric and Dieter's last tour in Tunisia before they head back to Europe. They visited Eleonetech, part of Onetech Group, a structure Dieter explains thoroughly. This is the largest EMS in Tunisia. Listeners will learn about the company's manufacturing process control culture, particulars about the local labor force, the capabilities and strengths of the company and a general discussion of Tunisia and its paradisical countryside.
The next report will cover the pair's overall impressions of Tunisia; they will be interviewed by EMSNOW contributor Philip Stoten, before they begin recording episodes from Europe.
Episode 5 features visits to La Pratique Electronique in Nabeul and emka MED in Monastir. La Pratique Electronique is the first indigenous Tunisian EMS company visited. It's also the 3rd oldest, founded in 2001. emka MED (Mediterranean) is a subsidiary of the French group Emka Electronique.
Eric and Dieter begin the podcast lamenting their busy schedule which doesn't allow them to eat, much less enjoy the beautiful country they are visiting. The discussion then turns to the unique characteristics of these two companies, covering background of the executives they met, history of the facilities, attitudes of local labor force, end markets served, and other fascinating insights and impressions from their decades of experience. They are gaining an increasing understanding of the nuances of doing business in Tunisia and will be sharing their conclusions over the next several days.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globallyLuminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAsMycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to lifeTrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
This 4th podcast in the EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour series has Eric and Dieter discussing the day's visits to the Tunisia facilities of ATEMS and Cicor. ATEMS is the Tunisia subsidiary of Alliance Electronics, based in France; the products they build are 100% for export. The second company is a Tunisia facility of Swiss-based EMS Cicor. This facility is a recent acquisition of Cicor.
The discussion covers the two analysts' observations of the facilities, who they met with, what the unique capabilities and differentiators are of the two companies and begin to outline some trends about the local labor force, logistics issues and the companies' go-to-market strategies.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globally
Luminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAs
Mycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
This podcast covers visits to two French EMS companies with facilities in Tunisia, LaCroix and TIS the Tunisian branch of All Circuits. The two recount the executives they spoke to, what they saw, their overall impressions as the broader trends in this geography begin to come into focus. They discuss labor costs, commonalities between the two facilities as well as unique characteristics. This ground-breaking tour continues to bring details about this emerging region to EMSNOW podcast listeners.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globally
Luminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAs
Mycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
Dieter and Eric discuss the day's visits at Zollner Electronics and AsteelFlash's facilities in and around Tunis. They dive into the similarities and differences of these two global EMS companies. They each shared impressions of the facilities, who they met with, what the capabilities and details of how they operate in Tunisia. It's a fascinating and congenial conversation about the first two visits in this emerging geography.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge and thank this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globally
Luminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAs
Mycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
The first episode of EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour 2024 podcast series begins in Tunis with Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discussing the reasons for the importance of this geography for the European EMS industry, some background on the history and current demographics of Tunisia, a preview of the visits planned for the week and the theme of the in4ma EMS-Forum in Ulm Germany and other details about this dynamic and evolving region.
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge this year’s tour sponsors:
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globally
Luminovo – your copilot for quoting and procuring PCBAs
Mycronic – Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life
TrustedParts – Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources.
Their support allows us to conduct these tours and provide these important insights to the industry. Please check them out.
If you wish to connect with Eric Miscoll or Dieter Weiss please email them directly at: emiscoll@emsnow.com or weiss@in4ma.de
In this second part of the interview with Vivek Khanna, Managing Director of INDIC EMS Electronics, the conversation shifts to the overall industry for EMS in India. The discussion continues with Vivek’s insights into the impact of industry challenges on India EMS companies. He comments on supply chain disruptions, the unique labor force challenges in India, an update on infrastructure requirements for electronics manufacturing and how those are being addressed and much more. He also explains the reasons for his confidence in the goals he has stated for INDIC EMS Electronics. It’s an in-depth discussion touching on key trends in this exciting geography for electronics manufacturing, from a local expert.
EMSNOW talks to Vivek Khanna, Managing Director of INDIC EMS Electronics, an EMS company with manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru India, and Barcelona Spain. In Part 1 of this interview, Vivek summarizes his fascinating personal story working in the tech industry as it evolved in Bangalore; he started in the chip design world, and then shifted to software and now has come back around to hardware manufacturing, riding several global industry trends. He has worked for both start-ups and global corporations and applies that experience to INDIC to drive solid growth, while honoring his personal determination to give back to the community. He discusses the advantages of building electronics in India; the demographics, the workforce, the government support and more. Part 2 of this thoughtful interview covers Vivek’s views about industry trends.
David Schild, Executive Director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) discusses the latest on Congress’ intent to rebuild a strong industrial defense manufacturing base, and how critical PCBs are to that capability. He updates EMSNOW on what passing the Omnibus Funding Bill means for the industry and where the money is going. PCBAA members represent the entire PCB value chain, and the Association drives the effort to promote the entire industry, because a healthy commercial base is critical to defense. He paints a picture of what the future of the PCB industry in the U.S. will look like — not the same for every vertical, but a more resilient supply chain for critical electronics like defense, infrastructure, medical equipment and so on. It’s a must-view for those following the consequences of this ever-changing development.
EMSNOW discusses APEX with Jason Spera, CEO Aegis Software in this information-packed interview about the exciting developments at this dynamic company. Jason reflects on the past 27 years since he founded the CAD/CAM tool focusing transforming design data into a useful shop floor MES. He explains their next generation solution which will enable an even more robust cycle-counting capability to ensure accuracy in materials management, an area that has gotten a lot of attention lately. He also talks about Aegis’ SaaS solution, which will be demonstrated at APEX; the benefits of the new partnership with Arch Systems, and much more. The conversation ends with a tribute to industry icon Michael Ford, who passed away earlier this year.
EMSNOW speaks with Heriberto Cuevas, Sales Manager Leader for Mexico and South America, and Hector Hernandez, Regional Sales Manager, Koh Young America. The two discuss their backgrounds, trends in the business environment in Mexico, including the advent of semiconductor manufacturing; challenges to managing the rapid growth, the end markets moving manufacturing to Mexico, the real story about re-shoring from countries like Taiwan and the implications for workforce development, and much more. They discuss the advantages Mexico has over other geographies, which are only getting more pronounced as geopolitical uncertainties unfold. It’s a thoughtful conversation with knowledgeable regional insiders.
EMSNOW speaks with Andy Hyatt, Chief Customer Officer, Plexus Corporation to get an update on this Tier 1 EMS company based in Wisconsin, USA. Andy summarizes their current strategy and comments that being on the customer-facing side of the business puts him on the front lines of the trends. The three market segments Plexus serves have very different requirements and Plexus intentionally focuses on these three, making complex products on a global scale, with perfect quality, and on time delivery at a fair price. He covers how Plexus is managing workforce challenges, including their strategy for automation in a high mix/low volume environment; what they learned from the material shortage crisis, his insights from 35 years in the EMS industry, and much more.
EMSNOW learns about North American EMS company ACDi, with this conversation with ACDi's VP of Operations, Garret Maxson. The discussion covers the background and business strategy for this 40-year old low volume, high mix company mainly focused on defense electronics. Garret explains am equipment acquisition process recently completed with Koh Young, acquiring multiple machines, with an extensive and comprehensive training and implementation program. He discusses the upgrade of training, the benefits the business obtained by working with Koh Young, celebrating the 23,000th Koh Young installation, and much more.
Zachary Feuerstein, Founder and CEO, developed Breadboard to address what he identified as systemic problems with the semiconductor supply chain that became painfully obvious during post-Covid disruptions. This solution transforms quoting, sourcing, and monitoring the semiconductor supply chain for EMS and OEMs building electronic products. Breadboard's solution can be integrated into customers' existing systems. Zachary shares insights into the digitalization of this function - where the roadblocks have been historically and how we get everyone to get on board. It's a very timely conversation and well worth a listen.
Mike Buetow, President of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA), speaks to EMSNOW about the Service Excellence Awards. This customer feedback evaluation program is celebrating 32 years of service to the industry; initially designed for EMS companies, it now has expanded to the entire SMT line, including the critical software providers enabling Industry 4.0. Mike explains the substantial value that ALL participating companies receive from the customer survey data compiled into a detailed report. These reports, based on seven important service categories, are used internally to drive continuous quality improvement programs, as well as marketing and sales. This is an informative conversation between two industry colleagues that should not be missed.
EMSNOW Mexico speaks with Jose Ignacio Lopez Arroyo, CEO of Repstronics about this remarkable solutions provider that has been operating in Mexico for 21 years. When the electronics manufacturing industry in Mexico began to grow, companies bought their equipment from US-based suppliers who did not provide local support. Repstronics was a local team that provided sales and after-sales support to these customers after the equipment was installed. The company started with wire harness machines, and then expanded to SMT equipment and beyond. Now they have locations all over Mexico, and 88 employees providing solutions and helping customers succeed. They host training centers, and proactively visit their customers to help them achieve their goals.
This in-depth, insider conversation covers Jose’s experiences, his analysis of the strengths and challenges of doing business in Mexico, and much more.
EMSNOW spoke with David Faliskie, CEO of EIT (Electronic Instrumentation and Technology) and Xaver Feiner, VP Marketing & Sales, Zollner Elektronik AG to learn more about the EMS company’s business. EIT was acquired by Zollner in 2022, and recently announced an expansion of its facility in Salem, New Hampshire. Both companies are family-owned which means they share many synergies including markets served, and a common customer centric culture. It’s an interesting conversation about a unique EMS strategy with insights into what the future might hold.
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Jennifer Read
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Here is a fascinating account of the history of this EMS company with facilities in Lithuania, Turkey, and China. Sergey Zorin, Director and founder of DANNIE.CC has guided this business from a group of design engineers to its present full scope of manufacturing services in these geographies. He explains the strategy as the company has evolved according to customer requirements. It’s a unique story, yet very indicative of the innovative nature of the EMS industry.
With this interview, EMSNOW launches a new video series, “Virtual On Tour,” to elevate the EMS industry through in-depth interviews with industry executives. This first in the series spotlights North American high reliability ‘mission critical manufacturer’ Zentech, through this insightful conversation with Michael Seltzer, Chief Commercial Officer. The discussion covers Zentech’s unique differentiators, Michael’s thoughtful analysis of industry trends, including nearshoring, material shortages, the race for talent, automation, the importance of supplier relationships, changing EMS/OEM dynamics, Zentech’s growth strategy and much more. Listen to how one seasoned EMS expert describes how his company prioritizes culture and people to make manufacturing cool again.
The Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) has had quite a productive year. David Schild, Executive Director of the PCBAA discusses the accomplishments of this very young consortium of companies that support the domestic production of PCBs and the materials they are made from. Eric asks him about the growth of the association, policy achievements, and recent announcements of public/private partnerships. David tells Eric what is on the agenda for 2024 and how they intend to manage through the political turmoil of an election year. It’s a very important discussion about major initiatives that will impact the entire electronics industry for the next decade at least.
Eric catches up with Misha Govshteyn, CEO, Macrofab to learn the latest news about this innovative platform for sourcing electronics manufacturing services. The discussion begins with an overview of the Macrofab model focused on North American manufacturing though a software based platform enabling flexibility and scalability for all sizes of OEMs. Misha explains over 50% of his company’s recent growth is a result of the acceleration of the re-shoring trend to a regional approach bringing manufacturing closer to customers. He notes that pre-pandemic, the re-shoring discussion was mostly theoretical, but that is not the case now. Mexico is increasingly the answer for companies exiting China
It’s an insightful discussion of trends that will have a substantial impact on the EMS industry.
Eric discusses a software implementation case study with Luminovo’s Founder and Managing Director Sebastian Schaal and Wayne Clancy, Executive VP at Trilogy-Net. Wayne considered 9 different vendors for quoting software for his Canadian EMS company before deciding on Luminovo’s solution. He describes his experience selecting, implementing and then launching this new capability for his EMS business, which has dramatically improved his quoting process and delighted his customers.
Roberto Gatti, CEO of Delvitech SA explains Delvitech’s unique optical inspection technology, which uses AI and a high precision camera system to detect defects. This patented optical head is a powerful technology that acquires precise 3D data with crystal clear images for a wide range of packages and components. Customers can use this system even when there is no ‘golden board’ available to train the software. Delvitech is a Swiss-based company that came on the scene five years ago, and this in-depth discussion of the unique characteristics of this new approach to AOI is well worth a listen.
Michael Ford, Sr. Director of Emerging Industry Strategy at Aegis Software, is an industry thought leader, and this conversation tackles some important issues about what people want in their MES system. He says that people want MES that is simple to use but has the internal capabilities to manage the very complicated electronics manufacturing process efficiently. Aegis will be exhibiting at Productronica, to discuss with customers their recent developments in the area of composability, the use of AI in these systems, the impact of MES on sustainability initiatives, and much more. It’s an important analysis and well worth your time.
Koh Young Europe’s Michael Zahn describes his company’s plans for Productronica 2023 and updates Eric on the progress of the Smart Factory in Europe. The two discuss both the SMT side of Koh Young’s European business and the semiconductor packaging side, which is getting a lot of attention because of efforts to bring these activities back to Europe. They discuss the trends in these technologies and the place of test/inspection in improving quality and reliability for increasingly demanding applications.
Excess inventory is a challenge for the industry right now. Master distributor Waldom Electronics works with distributors to repurpose this excess, which will help EMS and the entire ecosystem. Andjela Pasi, EMEA Director of Sales and Marketing, explains exactly how Waldom receives excess inventory from distributors to ensure the highest quality and integrity of the components, and also to prevent this excess from ending up in landfills. They discuss the sustainability aspect of these efforts, which increasingly matters to companies addressing environmental concerns. This is a detailed glimpse into how distributors add value to the channel through material management.
Eric speaks with François Monette, Co-Founder of Cogiscan about how far the industry has gotten since 1999 when Cogiscan was first launched. The founders saw the potential of data analysis and machine-to-machine connectivity to achieve greater efficiencies on the factory floor. The two discuss how digital technology can be used to learn where the waste is coming from to continuously improve the process. They discuss current and future adoption and why the industry isn’t as far along on the path to Industry 4.0 as expected. It’s an insightful discussion with one of the pioneers of smart manufacturing.
Eric speaks with John McKay, President of Sales, and John Magee, VP of Sales, at independent distributor Freedom. They discuss Freedom’s business model, their certifications, the quality programs they have in place to prevent counterfeit components from entering the component supply chain, the impact of supply chain disruption on the industry, inventory overhang among customers, the current state of the market, how Freedom attracts new employees, and much more.
Eric discusses in4ma’s most recent research on the European EMS industry with Dieter Weiss, Senior Market Analyst, in4ma. In Part One, they discuss the inventory overhang in detail.
In Part Two of this discussion with in4ma Senior Market Analyst Dieter Weiss, Eric asks about M&A activity in Europe this year, Dieter’s view of the state of the industry and consolidation trends, the drivers behind these trends, such as pressure from OEMs, higher interest rates, and the overall inevitable increase in the amount of outsourcing. “The future is bright…but not for everyone.” The discussion ends with a high-level discussion of the challenges of bringing the entire electronics ecosystem back to EMEA.
Part One can be found here..
Eric gets an update from David Schild who is the Executive Director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA). The two discuss David’s recent experiences at PCB West and the collaboration between the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) and PCBAA. David discusses PCBAA’s mission to ‘educate, advocate, legislate’ for the industry, and the current status of the CHIPs Act. It’s slow going, he admits, but he does see progress. The PCBAA is very active, meeting with members of Congress as the projects are launched and this discussion is essential for anyone participating in this unprecedented reversal of a decades-long trend.
This second part of the interview includes David’s update on trends in the current component supply chain environment. They discuss lead times, downstream capacity issues, inventory stability and production planning issues, how manufacturers prioritize orders, NCNR overhang, and much more. This is a must-see video for all EMS working on increasing their supply chain resilience.
Part One of this interview can be found here..
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Eric’s discussion with IDENTCO Technical Director Ralph Rhein focuses on the innovation happening at IDENTCO’s in-house laboratory. Environments for electronics have gotten very harsh, requiring labels to withstand very high temperatures during processing, but also under the hoods of cars, for example. Furthermore, with the constant demand for more function in smaller spaces, the real estate on the board available for labels has become very limited. In this interview, Eric learns what IDENTCO does to solve these challenges with customers. Full-scale laboratory test capability is something seldom seen in companies like IDENTCO, but that is where the innovation happens. This conversation explores what that means for the industry’s labeling challenges.
Eric speaks with David Loftus, President and CEO of ECIA on the very challenging topic of NCNR (non-cancellable, non-returnable) agreements between component manufacturers/distributors and their customers. This topic is a major point of contention — and a source of misunderstanding, especially in the past few years.
This very thorough discussion provides much-needed clarity and context for the reason for these agreements and how they actually benefit customers.
Part One covers David Loftus’ background, ECIA’s mission, the definition and reasons for NCNR terms, what type of part is likely to have NCNR terms, and much more.
Part Two, which will post tomorrow, goes deeper into what EMS companies can do to prepare.
To sign up for EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter, go to www.emsnow.com/subscribe.
Eric discusses the PCB industry with Jeremy Griner, Managing Director ICAPE USA. Jeremy explains the ICAPE value proposition and provides an update on recent acquisitions. The conversation covers global trends related to regionalization, recovery from the pandemic, sourcing diversification, the importance of design for manufacturability and ICAPE’s capabilities related to these initiatives. Bottom line, he says, the strategy is to reduce risk. It’s a conversation well worth your time for the latest about sourcing PCBs.
Eric speaks with Zi Yang Seow, ViTrox’s Director of Global Business Development about his background and role within ViTrox; the history of the company and their product offerings. They discuss the ViTrox global go-to-market strategy, and delve deep into how AI has impacted the quest for Industry 4.0. Zi explains how AI minimizes ‘false calls’, but also how it can enable more accurate programming, making even less experienced operators more accurate, which improves quality and reduces cost. The two also discuss ViTrox’s ‘One-View’ solution, how new customers train their operators, and much more.
To subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter go to www.emsnow.com/subscribe
Eric speaks with Mukesh Vasani, CEO of Aimtron Group about his inspiring personal story growing up in India, and the history of Aimtron Group, which has facilities in the U.S. and an expanding list of facilities in India.
Eric and Joel Scutchfield, GM of Koh Young America, discuss the state of the industry in implementing the Smart Factory within the broader context of current challenges of skilled labor shortages and tightening access to capital. This in-depth, thoughtful conversation focuses on how automation and AI can potentially help, but there is a lot to do. It’s a complex, multifaceted challenge and Joel explains the importance of good data, intelligent machine learning/training, how Koh Young’s global approach addresses the issue, and much more. It’s a must-see video, providing excellent insight and clarity.
s part of EMSNOW’s coverage of the emerging EMS industry in India, Eric speaks to Anthony Montalbano, CEO of Cyient DLM, the electronics manufacturing division of Cyient, an engineering services and digital transformation company. The discussion covers Anthony’s background, the thinking behind the company’s growth strategy, as well as thoughts about the overall EMS industry in India. They discuss the end markets served in India, the workforce for manufacturing, the drivers for manufacturing in that geography, and much more.
EMSNOW speaks with Sebastian Schaal, Founder and Managing Director of Luminovo about a new customer portal they developed to allow greater collaboration between EMS companies and their customers. Based on their work with EMS companies during the initial stages of the customer engagement, they designed their user interface to be very intuitive and useful for customers. The discussion goes deep into how this works.
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Eric asks David for an update based on his recent time in Washington, DC advocating for the PCB industry. This is an important legislative window where decisions are being made to bring electronics manufacturing back to the U.S. There is some progress in educating policy makers about the need for domestic PCB manufacturing, but there is still a lot of work to do, he says. The phrase ‘Chips Don’t Float’ is starting to get some traction, but changing legislators minds about the critical need for domestic manufacturing is slow. Tax breaks and other government action will change the cost equation for buying PCBs locally. This is an in-depth discussion of what’s going on right now in the Capitol that shouldn’t be missed.
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Eric talks to Anthony Bradbury, who is Managing Director, Mycronic UK & Ireland, about the holy grail of manufacturing – achieving maximum utilization rate of an SMT line. They discuss in detail the stages a typical organization goes through in improving utilization, the change management issues that must be addressed, typical roadblocks, and much more.
To subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter, go to www.emsnow.com/subscribe
Eric interviews Cybord’s CEO Oshri Cohen about their revolutionary AI software solution to inspect all components for defects or counterfeit from images collected from in-line inspection equipment. This cloud-based solution is based on visual analysis of top side and bottom side of all components. It is especially appropriate for regulated industries like aerospace and medical systems, providing a new level of traceability.
Subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter at www.emsnow.com/subscribe
Francisco Almada Lobo, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Critical Manufacturing briefs Eric on his company’s journey developing its MES system to make Industry 4.0 a reality for manufacturers of complex electronics. The key is integration and execution, he says, and his team’s deep expertise. His unique MES solution has a low-code, very flexible interface that enables customers to configure and integrate their systems to achieve the promised data-driven smart factory of the future. Critical Manufacturing has been recognized as a Leader in 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Manufacturing Execution Systems for the third consecutive time, and they have just released V10 of their MES.
Subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter at www.emsnow.com/subscribe
It's been an eventful three weeks and Eric and Dieter marvel at all they have done and learned. And they also reflect on the final EMS visit to Tecron Worbis in Worbis Germany.
On this, their second to the last podcast from Europe 2023 On Tour, Eric and Dieter are in Germany reflecting on their visits to Prettl Electronics and
Krüger & Gothe . Dieter starts out by describing the unique characteristics of the companies, and then the two discuss their impressions of the day's discussion with the executive teams.
The team is in Dresden Germany today visiting two EMS companies: Deltec Electronics and Cicor. Dieter provides background about Deltec's management team, the type of PCBA they produce, their skills in industrial engineering, and how they manage the risk of working with start-ups. The visit to the Cicor facility provided insights into that company's acquisition strategy and the current business situation of the Dresden facility.
The 2023 Europe Tour is winding down and the two reflect on what's left.
Eric and Dieter recorded this podcast from the Czech Republic where they are preparing for their next day of meetings. They reflect on visits to two Austrian EMS companies, Melecs and Videoton.
EMSNOW thanks these tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com– Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric and Dieter discuss their visits to SG Automotive in Slovenia and BECOM in Austria. For anyone that thought all EMS are the same, this tour disproves that thought dramatically.
The two discuss the level of automation at SG Automotive and the challenges of competing internationally; their customer base, the brands they support, the history of the company and its CEO, the potential for growth and more.
The two then travel north across the border to Austria to visit BECOM. Dieter provides the background for this well-established family owned facility, the value proposition, its design engineering prowess as an ODM, its global footprint, examples of the company's innovative solutions, and much more.
EMSNOW thanks these tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com– Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric and Dieter review the event held last week in Munich. The EMS Forum was attended by 150 people, representing 85 companies. Dieter explains the background and history of the event, who was invited, and its purpose. They cover the content and the speakers, a summary of each session, and some of the discussions.
EMSNOW thanks these tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com– Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
In this podcast, Eric and Dieter are in Slovenia, reporting on their trip to Austria where they met with executives from Ginzinger Electronics Systems and Digital Elektronik GmbH. They met with the CEO of another Austrian EMS, CMS Electronics, at the EMS event in Munich this past week and add their analysis of this company to the discussion.
Austria is Eric's favorite country to visit and the mountains are part of each of these companies' culture. The discussion dives deep into each company's unique capabilities and value proposition. They describe the tour and what they learned and how that fits into the overall industry trend of increasing sophistication of service offerings and capabilities for problem-solving. It's a very good discussion and well worth your time.
EMSNOW thanks these tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com– Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric and Dieter are in Switzerland where they report on visits to Hengartner Elektronic AG and Variosystems. The first, as Eric comments, represents a smaller EMS company that has developed specialized manufacturing capabilities that are truly unique. They refer to their facility as a product innovation center, and that's the niche they have carved out for themselves.
The second company, Variosystems, is a mid-sized global company that is dissatisfied with the term 'EMS' and suggested they be called an 'electronic service partner' or ESP. Dieter thinks that is pretty accurate. The two report what they learned about Variosystems' strategy of standardized processes across all facilities in all regions, and much more.
They agree the two visits provide a good representation of electronics manufacturing in Switzerland right now.
EMSNOW thanks these tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com– Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric and Dieter share their thoughts about this first phase of the 2023 tour. They begin by clarifying the terminology: the industry in the UK prefers the term CEM (contract electronic manufacturing) to EMS, so that's what we will use. Dieter starts with the numbers from in4ma's research, and then the two dive into what they have learned from their visits about nuances pertaining to CEM in this region.
EMSNOW thanks these tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, - Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com- Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric interviews Cybord’s CEO Oshri Cohen about their revolutionary AI software solution to inspect all components for defects or counterfeit from images collected from in-line inspection equipment. This cloud-based solution is based on visual analysis of top side and bottom side of all components. It is especially appropriate for regulated industries like aerospace and medical systems, providing a new level of traceability.
Subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter at www.emsnow.com/subscribe
The last UK stop on the EMS Tour 2023 finds Eric and Dieter in Crayford at a 'gem of a company', Texcel. Dieter provides background and the reasons for their revenue growth this year; Eric comments that for this company, design is a differentiator, which leads to a discussion of the difference between EMS and ODM, an interesting distinction. The products and end markets served by Texcel reinforce again the challenge of categorizing the sectors of the industry as electronics permeates further into every aspect of modern life.
EMSNOW thanks these sponsors:
CalcuQuote, - Global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – Smart solutions for flexible manufacturingTrustedParts.com- Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
In this podcast, Eric and Dieter discuss the EMS Executive meeting held in London and hosted by IPC's Sanjay Huprikar and Philippe Leonard, where Dieter presented his data about the UK EMS industry. The two discuss the purpose and context of the meeting and several of the themes, including workforce development, the greater 'silicon to systems' value chain in the UK, the importance of educating people about what this industry is all about, business conditions post-Brexit, the critical need for everyone to get engaged, and much more.
EMSNOW Thanks Tour Sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – global supplier of high flexibility production equipment TrustedParts.com– genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric and Dieter make their way south through England to Bedford to visit AsteelFlash and then to Luton where they met with the team from Jaltek. They share their reflections about these companies, the stories they heard about the products they are building for customers, and the incredible level of engineering required to make these complex products a reality. They discuss the similarities and differences between AsteelFlash, part of a much larger global organization, and Jaltek, a family-owned business that is very strong in aerospace and defense.
EMSNOW Thanks Tour Sponsors:
CalcuQuote, – global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – global supplier of high flexibility production equipment TrustedParts.com– genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Francisco Almada Lobo, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Critical Manufacturing briefs Eric on his company’s journey developing its MES system to make Industry 4.0 a reality for manufacturers of complex electronics. The key is integration and execution, he says, and his team’s deep expertise. His unique MES solution has a low-code, very flexible interface that enables customers to configure and integrate their systems to achieve the promised data-driven smart factory of the future. Critical Manufacturing has been recognized as a Leader in 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Manufacturing Execution Systems for the third consecutive time, and they have just released V10 of their MES.
Subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter at www.emsnow.com/subscribe
Dieter Weiss comments on the size of the UK EMS industry and its place within the overall EU market. He and Eric then discuss their day's visits at Tioga Ltd in Derby and Escatec Mechatronic Ltd in Lutterworth. The detailed discussion covers the type of SMT equipment used for their particular customer mix, the history and corporate structure and what that means, and much more.
EMSNOW/in4ma OnTour has begun! Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss arrived in the U.K over the weekend, and visited InCap UK in Newcastle-under-Lyme. They share their thoughts about the reasons for going on the tour, what they learned at their first visit and much more. It's a lively conversation, and sets the stage for this information-packed series of podcasts from two industry experts.
This year’s tour includes site visits with 17+ EMS companies in seven European countries, attendance at the IPC EMS Seminar meeting in London, and attendance at the in4ma EMS-Forum in Munich.The tour includes visits with EMS companies in the countries of Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
EMSNOW thanks tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, - global leader in quoting and supply chain software for electronics manufacturersMycronic – global supplier of high flexibility production equipmentTrustedParts.com- genuine electronic components from only authorized sources
Eric and Dieter discuss their upcoming trip to visit 18+ EMS companies across Europe. They will attend two EMS events where Dieter will present his research; they will travel to eight different countries. This is the 3rd trip for the duo, and the numbers keep increasing. Dieter also tells Eric more about his event in Munich for the EMS industry.
They always learn new things from some of the leading companies in this exciting and ever-evolving industry, so be on the lookout for exclusive EMSNOW reports in the coming weeks.
EMSNOW/in4ma On Tour 2023 is sponsored by Calcuquote (www.calcuquote.com) , Mycronic (www.mycronic.com) and TrustedParts (www.trustedparts.com).
Eric learns more about Waldom Electronics’ unique business model as the ‘distributors’ distributor’. Chris Fetner, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships explains how Waldom’s relationships with over 2500 distributors around the globe enable the company to develop programs to bring new efficiencies to the component channel that benefit the EMS customer. Eric learns about one such program – Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ) Reduction Program – that’s getting a lot of attention.
To subscribe to EMSNOW Daily Newsletter, go to www.emsnow.com/subscribe
Eric catches up with Jeffrey Schlarbaum, Spartronics’ new CEO for an update on this dynamic US-based EMS. They discuss what drew Jeffrey to the company and industry, Spartronics’ history manufacturing in Vietnam, how Spartronics’ strategy is evolving under his watch including how they are approaching automation, the overall outlook for the industry and much more.
To subscribe to EMSNOW’s Daily Newsletter go to www.emsnow.com/subscribe
Eric discusses SEL’s decision to begin manufacturing PCBs in the U.S. instead of outsourcing this task. They discuss the thinking behind the decision, how PCBs fit into their overall product offering, and what it means for their business. Jessi Hall is Sr. Director of Vertical Integration and John Hendrickson is Engineering Director, and they go deep into their journey, the experience of doing this during the component shortages, lessons learned and much more. SEL designed this highly automated and environmentally friendly process for manufacturing printed circuit boards in Moscow, Idaho that is focused on the health and safety of the community. The facility features zero-discharge water recycling and air filtration technology.
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Eric discusses Indium’s Durafuse LT solder with Claire Hotvedt, Senior Product Development Specialist, Indium. LT stands for low temperature and Claire explains why low temperature solder is the right technology for many of today’s challenges in electronics manufacturing, including sustainability, surprisingly. She describes an initiative with Heller Industries that looked into how lowering the reflow oven temperature impacted carbon emissions. Sustainability is very tightly linked to good manufacturing processes, she says. It’s an eye-opening discussion of the wider implications of using this recently developed low temperature solder.
Subscribe to EMSNOW.com’s Daily Newsletter at www.emsnow.com/subscribe
in4ma’s Michael Künsebeck discusses the most recent European EMS research results with Eric. The two discuss in4ma’s annual EMS survey’s unique research methodology, a glimpse at the findings, including a deep dive into the growth rate, what the component shortages meant for the industry, and much more. It’s a must-see interview with Europe’s most respected research organization.
EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll and Joel Scutchfield, General Manager, Koh Young Americas, discuss how an old technology is learning new tricks. The reports of the death of through-hole technology have been greatly exaggerated and Koh Young has been listening to customers to add the latest smart factory advances to the process. This discussion includes some important announcements about Koh Young’s latest achievements.
David Schild, Executive Director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) has been closely following the U.S. legislation known as the CHIPS and Science Act. Now that the rules for how the money will be spent have been released, he and Eric discuss how this will impact the broader electronics manufacturing industry. It’s an important discussion with critical information about how the U.S. is attempting to reverse the trend from the past few decades that has resulted in the substantial loss of electronics manufacturing prowess. But what has been done is not enough. Learn what companies should do to encourage lawmakers to finish the job to rebuild the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the U.S.
Eric Miscoll speaks with Julie Cliche-Dubois, Product Manager – Analytics & Connectivity, Cogiscan about the challenges of data collection and analysis in electronics manufacturing. Digitalization of the complex data streams involved in Industry 4.0 is a very complicated endeavor and Cogiscan is at the vanguard of solving these tricky connectivity issues by working with both the machine suppliers and customers. It’s a fascinating discussion that clarifies the role of AI in making the vast quantity of data generated by the machines useful.
Waldom Electronics is a ‘Master Distributor’, meaning they work with manufacturers and distributors, to, among other services, help alleviate inventory overhang especially in periods of supply chain disruptions, such as the industry has experienced in the past few years. In this conversation with EMSNOW’s Eric Miscoll, Dan Heinen, Waldom Electronics’ Global Director of Quality explains the details of how Waldom helps the authorized channel balance inventory while ensuring only the highest quality genuine components are sold by their network of over 2500 distributors.
Eric and Victor discuss ECIA’s component e-commerce platform TrustedParts.com: its history, evolution, and why having a source for components through the authorized channel matters. This valuable service can help companies mitigate risk through a source for manufacturer-validated components. The two discuss the new parametric search function, changes coming to ECIA’s website, and much more.
Scott Lucas, CEO of labeling company IDENTCO explains the solutions his company has developed to accommodate advanced dense PCBs where the real estate available for labels is so small and the process environments are very harsh. As the barcode labels become more critical for track and trace, IDENTCO works with the equipment companies to integrate the application of labels to improve productivity and efficiencies, something the EMS customers appreciate. This discussion delves deep into this important topic.
EMSNOW & SCOOP at APEX 2023 was sponsored by Koh Young America (https://www.kohyoung.com), Aegis Software (https://www.aiscorp.com/), Panasonic Connect (https://connect.panasonic.com/en/) and Cogiscan (https://cogiscan.com/)
One of the themes of APEX 2023 was the next evolution of the Smart Factory through use of AI tools. In this interview, Eric Miscoll asks Joel Scutchfield to explain the AI tools Koh Young continues to roll out to enhance their industry leading inspection systems. They go on to discuss Joel’s expectations for 2023, the power of optimism, and much more.
EMSNOW & SCOOP at APEX 2023is sponsored by Koh Young America (https://www.kohyoung.com), Aegis Software (https://www.aiscorp.com/), Panasonic Connect (https://connect.panasonic.com/en/) and Cogiscan (https://cogiscan.com/).
EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll talks to Mycronic Vice President of Global Sales Kevin Clue about the trends he is seeing in the market and the new integrated SMT solutions offered by Mycronic to meet the demands of the industry.
EMSNOW & SCOOP at APEX 2023 was sponsored by Koh Young America (https://www.kohyoung.com), Aegis Software (https://www.aiscorp.com/), Panasonic Connect (https://connect.panasonic.com/en/) and Cogiscan (https://cogiscan.com/).
EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll interviews Panasonic Connect Robotics and Automation Business Head Gustavo Sepulveda about his company’s latest products and solutions as well as trends in re-shoring in the USA and Mexico.
EMSNOW & SCOOP at APEX 2023 was sponsored by Koh Young America (https://www.kohyoung.com), Aegis Software (https://www.aiscorp.com/), Panasonic Connect (https://connect.panasonic.com/en/) and Cogiscan (https://cogiscan.com/).
Eric spends time with exiting CEO Don Charron of Kimball Electronics and they reflect on his illustrious and eventful 24 years at the helm of this impressive company. Don shares the history of the company from its experience in pianos and organs as electronics were added to these instruments, and then making televisions for Motorola. He touches on Kimball’s 50 years manufacturing in Reynosa, Mexico; Kimball’s company culture and much more. It’s a fascinating discussion with an industry icon.
Eric discuss the U.S. PCB industry with David Schild, Executive Director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA). The two analyze President Biden's State of the Union address where he celebrated the passing of the CHIPS Act, the recent U.S. legislation bringing substantial investment in domestic capabilities for manufacturing semiconductors. The two comment on the implications for our industry of this unprecedented public investment in domestic electronics manufacturing, including printed circuit boards, since 'chips don't float'. This thoughtful discussion delves into the 'what happens next' to leverage this positive development, including addressing the workforce challenges and much more.
Eric learns about Waldom Electronics’ unique business model from its new CEO Don Akery. Waldom Electronics calls itself the ‘distributors’ distributor,’ which means they add value to the authorized channel by taking in excess inventory from suppliers and authorized distributors; inspecting, restocking, and making that inventory available to distributors to enable them to sell parts that may be in short supply. It’s a fascinating discussion of a set of valuable ‘behind the scenes’ inventory services that benefit the EMS industry by making fully vetted components available through the authorized distribution channel.
Eric speaks with Kevin Clue, Vice President, Global Sales, High Flex Division, Mycronic, who recently joined the organization. They discuss his background and Mycronic's successful 2022; the company's expansion in Mexico, plans for APEX, and much more. Mycronic's unique differentiator as a full-service SMT solutions provider enables a high level of process integration and they continue to introduce new innovations in data management and human machine interface.
Eric grabs some time with American Sun Components (ASC) Founder, Mario Gaete to learn about this global stocking distributor's business. They discuss what makes ASC unique among distributors, how they serve their customers, and Mario's views about what the industry needs to do to lessen global component supply disruptions. Eric asks Mario about his views looking ahead at 2023 and 2024 - will the component shortage situation get better?
Cybord is a visual-AI component analytics software system used to increase the reliability and traceability of the PCBs produced.
In this video, Eric learns from Cybord's CFO Zeev Efrat, how this company came to be and how this solution can identify problem components and increase product reliability. It's a fascinating application of AI that may really be a breakthrough.
Dale Ford is Chief Analyst with the Electronic Component Industry Association (ECIA) and in that capacity collects data about lead times and trends for all the electronic component categories. He and Eric discuss the latest forecast and the state of the supply chain in this very insightful interview. It's well worth your time.
Things really have changed for the US PCB industry in the last few decades. Production has dropped from around a quarter of the world’s production to just a few percent. In this edition of The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show), Philip and Eric explore the potential to see a return to those halcyon days with guests from the IPC and the PCBAA. Guests Travis Kelly, President and CEO of the Isola Group and PCBAA Chairman, and Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations at IPC, start with a brief history of the PCB industry in the USA before going on to look at just what’s possible and what associations, government and industry can do to help. The panel discussed HR7677, the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022, levels of investment required, opportunities and threats, as well as the role of neighbors Mexico and Canada.
This episode of The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show) is sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://kohyoungamerica.com) and global manufacturing solutions provider Panasonic Connect (https://na.panasonic.com/us/panasonic…)
Eric discusses the current state of process automation in North America with Gustavo Sepulveda, Panasonic Connect. Gustavo explains precisely how this solution addresses industry challenges, how Mexico has captured electronics manufacturing as the re-shoring trend accelerates, the importance of automation in the talent crisis, and much more.
On their last podcast from the EMSNOW Tour 2022, Eric and Dieter discuss visits to BDT and Katek in Southern Germany, and the overall German EMS industry.
At BDT (Bavaria Digital Technik), they met with Managing Director Manuel Stelzer and CFO Josef Ober. Dieter explains his history with this company that he has tracked through his annual European EMS report.
At the Katek they visited, they met with Managing Director Michael Schwell and Jurgen Lautner, one of the original family owners of that facility before it was acquired by Katek.
In this conversation, as in all the 12 previous podcasts on this remarkable EMS tour, these two professionals offer insights not available anywhere else.
EMSNOW is grateful to CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic
Eric and Dieter are back in Germany on their way to electronica 2022. They stopped to tour two mid-sized EMS focused on the industrial sector.
Coronex EMS is in Ratingen; there they met with Stefan Hauf, General Manager of this facility producing electronics for the industrial market including the telecom, medical, defense and mining sectors. Dieter shares his knowledge of the background of this company that he has been following.
The second stop was in Achem where the two toured Fritsch Elektronik and met with owners Matthias Sester and Josef Ober. Dieter had some insights about the market sectors this size of EMS serves and why. The discussion wraps up with a forward look at the rest of the trip.
EMSNOW thanks CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic.
Eric and Dieter visit this highly technical facility in Eindhoven, Netherlands and are very impressed with the level of engineering exhibited there. The depth of the capabilities for electronics manufacturing was nearly overwhelming - going beyond traditional electronics manufacturing into a wide variety of testing capabilities and much more for highly complex systems. In this podcast, they two discuss what they saw and its significance.
EMSNOW thanks CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic for making this trip possible.
Eric and Dieter travel to Belgium and visit with two EMS companies there; this podcast covers their comments about both.
C-MAC Electronics is in Ronse, Belgium and Eric begins the podcast by providing a brief overview of its history. The company has a new CEO and the team met with nearly the entire C-suite: CEO RiwanTamic; CFO Yves Demeulemeester; COO DannyDetemmerman; Global Sales Director BertVanneste; and Chairman KenHenderson. Dieter provides more details about what they learned.
VDL TBP Electronics is an EMS that Dieter visited a few weeks ago and wanted Eric to see. They discuss the unique characteristics of its business strategy, and how they are responding to the disruptions of the past few quarters. This is a fascinating window into how two serious analysts are updating their notes with real-time data about a rapidly evolving industry.
EMSNOW is grateful to CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic for their sponsorship of EMSNOW On Tour 2022.
Eric and Dieter had dinner with ALL Circuits' President Bruno Racault before touring the ALL Circuits facility in Meung sur Loire, one of the most advanced EMS facility either of these analysts had ever seen. The podcast focuses on their detailed reaction to what they saw, as well as a continuation of the discussion about the challenges of sizing the global European EMS industry, clarifying some comments from yesterday's podcast. The two travel to Belgium next.
EMSNOW thanks tour sponsors CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic.
Eric and Dieter visited Lacroix where they tour this very advanced facility purposely built for maximum automation. On the debrief podcast they discuss the challenges of sizing and ranking European EMS companies, the advantages of the level of automation demonstrated in this facility, and what they are learning as the reach the mid-point on their 2022 European Tour.
EMSNOW is grateful to CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic for their sponsorship.
Eric and Dieter traveled to the Normandy region of France to visit Asteelflash. They met with EVP Nicolas Denis and Plant Manager Fabrice Colin, and on this podcast they discuss this impressive global company with facilities across four continents. The two continue their analysis of the industry in this region and some surprises about outsourcing trends.
EMSNOW wishes to thank sponsors CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic.
Their last EMS tour in Sweden, Eric and Dieter met with Luciano Pasquariello, Pasi Hiedanpää, and Joakim Engbe at the Scanfil facility in Malmö; they met with Carl-Johan Forsberg via video conference. This podcast begins with Dieter's analysis of Scanfil and then the discussion moves to the capabilities of this unique facility.
EMSNOW is grateful to the sponsors that made this tour possible: CalcuQutoe, Cogiscan, and Mycronic.
Eric and Dieter traveled to Ronneby, Sweden where they met with Mattias Lindhe, President & CEO and Ulf Karlsson, VP Operations of Orbit One. During this podcast, the two share their impressions of the visit, and Dieter gives Eric the latest data about the industry and how 2022 is closing out for the EMS in Europe.
EMSNOW wishes to thank the sponsors of this tour, CalcuQuote, Cogiscan, and Mycronic.
Eric and Dieter visited the Boras facility of Inission Syd AB which used to be Inission Borås AB and met Olle Hulteberg founder of Inission and Carl Lidén Managing Director of Inission Borås AB.
In this episode, they discuss in depth what they learned on their visit, the unique characteristics of this specialized EMS facility, its customer base, and how they fit into the overall industry.
Today's podcast features Eric and Dieter's discussion of their visit to Kitron in Jönköping, Sweden. They met with the facility's general manager Stefan Hansson and were delighted to also spend time with Peter Nilsson, President and CEO of Kitron Group. On the podcast, they analyze Kitron's market strategy and technical capabilities and reflect on the overall EMS industry in this geography, including the unique OEM outsourcing context of the region. Dieter adds insights from his detailed research of the topic.
The first stop on Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss' European tour 2022 is Västerås, Sweden where they visit one of the enics facilities and learn about the progress of the merger between enics and GPV group, announced this past June. They discuss what they heard during the facilities tour about the synergies between the two companies, how it will impact their industrial customer base and the new geographic footprint they will have when the merger is finalized.
This is a fascinating conversation between two knowledgeable industry experts, made possible by the following sponsors:
CalcuQuote, a software solutions partner for the electronics industry
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization partner for electronics manufacturers globallyMycronic – global supplier of high precision production equipment
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss are together again for the 2022 tour of EMS companies across Europe. This year the two start in Sweden and will be posting podcast reports from each visit where they discuss the industry, the data, the trends, and whatever else is on their minds.
The first dispatch is from a town 80 km north of Stockholm where they prepare to visit Enics/GPV.
This tour is made possible by the following sponsors:
EMSNOW wishes to acknowledge the support of our tour sponsors:
CalcuQuote, a software solutions partner for the electronics industry
Cogiscan – the factory digitalization experts for electronics manufacturers globallyMycronic – global supplier of high precision production equipment
EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll discusses the latest developments in the critical electric vehicle market, with industry expert Brian O’Leary, Head of e-Mobility and Infrastructure at Indium Corporation. They discuss the impact of the latest regulations that are setting ever more stringent emissions goals for vehicles all over the globe. Keeping up with the legislative trends and technology advancements is a requirement for every company seeking to participate in this important market. This is a must-see video with one of the industry’s most well-informed resources.
Since 1999, ICAPE Group has supplied the industry with Printed Circuit Boards and Customized Technical Parts manufactured in China. In more than 70 countries, 3000 customers trust the quality services and offerings of the group. The company is growing fast. Eric interviews Thibault Cezarine, Managing Director CIPEM USA to learn about recent news about the company’s ESG initiatives, including equity hiring practices, environmental awareness programs, eco-friendly shipping practices; how ICAPE is managing supply chain disruptions in China and globally; and much more.
Eric Miscoll speaks to Dung Tran, VP Industrial and GM Spartronics Vietnam about the electronics industry in one of the fastest growing geographies for tech manufacturing. The two unpack all the reasons for the remarkable growth in Vietnam, including its proximity to China, the FDI coming in from global powerhouses like Intel, Foxconn and Jabil, the country’s political stability and effective government policies and much more. It’s a fascinating discussion from a seasoned industry expert.
Eric, along with co-host Philip Stoten, welcomed two new guests to this edition of The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show). Season Group's General Manager for Mexico, Hugo Yamada and SMarTsol's Director of Business Development, Juan Luis Tarin share their own experience on recent developments in the Mexico EMS industry, including insights into supply chain shortages, talent shortages, re-shoring and much more.
Philip asks why there are so few Mexican EMS brands and the panel explores digital transformation and Industry 4.0 in the region.
This episode of The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show) is sponsored by global inspection leader Koh Young (https://kohyoungamerica.com)
When we say talent, we're not referring to Eric or Philip, we're talking about the second gravest shortage impacting the EMS industry after parts shortages. Attracting and retaining talent has never been so important, and most recently, it has never been so challenging. We regularly hear stories of the great resignation and of companies struggling to get staff to fill jobs from the shop floor to the c-suite.
So what can be done? What is the role of automation in mitigating skill shortages? What does an EMS need to do to make themselves attractive to the next generation of graduates? And how can governments or associations help?
Our own Eric Miscoll, co-hosted by Philip Stoten, asked these question of Dr. Marc Achhammer, Chief HR Officer and Group Director, Operations at KATEK GROUP, as well as Jeremy Vanselous , Electronics Manufacturing Talent Advisor & Executive Recruiter specialized in the EMS sector.
Take a listen, you'll learn a lot about the future of the EMS industry and the importance of brand in the recruitment and retention of talent. Let's face it, without talent, and until we can build autonomous factories, EMS companies can't compete and won't survive.
Dr. Yap updates Eric about PCI Private Limited’s design capabilities, leveraging those capabilities within Celestica, their focus on specific areas, including telematics, human machine interface, IoT, and single board computer, why that’s critical for customers, the importance of staying current on rapidly evolving technologies and much more. He shares a fascinating behind the scenes look at how the design team supports production when components are in short supply.
Eric Miscoll and Philip Stoten are joined by distributor TTI’s newly appointed President for the Americas John Drabik and returning guest and ECIA Chief Analyst Dale Ford to get an update on supply chain constraints. Will shortages ease soon, or do we need to learn how to design for disruption? Further disruption from the conflict in Ukraine is adding yet more concerns around component shortages, particularly relating to raw materials used in semiconductor manufacturing. The panel share their own views and insights on this and other factors, as well as some of the key data supporting their arguments. They also explore the impact on the EMS industry and how companies might adapt in the future.
Tackling subjects including the invasion of Ukraine, Eric Miscoll is joined by European industry guru Dieter Weiss and Zollner’s Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing Manfred Amberger to dig into what’s driving and disrupting the manufacturing industry in Europe during challenging times.
Eric speaks to Joseph “Pult” Pultinevicius, VP Business Development, IDENTCO Automation Group about the benefits of auto applying labels in the electronics manufacturing process. It is a plug and play solution and works with nearly every possible customer system.
Eric speaks with Brian O’Leary who is Global Head of e-Mobility & Infrastructure with Indium Corporation. They discuss some of the major developments in this critical market for EMS.
Eric interviews Chintan about CalcuQuote’s new software, StockCQ, which allows OEMs and EMS companies that have excess components to trade parts. This ‘virtual stock room’ addresses a need for a decentralized trading platform during the component shortage crisis; the two discuss exactly how it works.
Eric speaks with John Magee who is Vice President of Sales at independent distributor Freedom USA. They discuss the current state of the components industry, some insights into why the competing incentives of OCMs and others in the supply chain cause turmoil, what to expect in the next few quarters and why there will be no ‘new normal’ for several years. This is a fascinating discussion with a component industry veteran.
Challenges abound in manufacturing and supply chain in the US and just about everywhere else. In this episode of The EMS, Eric Miscoll and Philip Stoten are joined by Nicole Russo, Owner and CEO of Microboard and Larry Veiga, Vice President of Business Development at Spartronics to explore supply chain, talent, regionalization as well as broader business trends.
The two guest provide some great insight, experience and optimism. This show is well worth 45 minutes of your time!
With Philip Stoten back as co-host live from Cornwall, Eric Miscoll is joined by Zollner’s Director of the Automotive Business Division Michael Kollmer and Indium’s Global Head of e-Mobility & Infrastructure Brian O’Leary to explore the significant changes in the supply chain occurring as car makers move from internal combustion to electric vehicles.
Bottom line: it’s a huge opportunity for the EMS industry.
Eric and Mike discuss Benchmark Electronics’ strategic approach to manufacturing, the factors impacting the expansion of North American manufacturing, recent responses to supply chain disruptions, the importance of design and finding good people, and much more.
This fascinating discussion with ex-Foxconn Director Alan S. Yeung covers the inside story about re-shoring electronics manufacturing to North America. Author Alan S. Yeung discusses his experiences negotiating with state and federal governments to build a Foxconn campus outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He shares insights about global EMS strategy with Eric as they discuss the implications and opportunities of the recent shift to shorten supply chains to build resiliency through regionalization.
Eric speaks with Mark about the origins of Spartronics, trends in medical device manufacturing, Spartronics’ differentiators, building medical products in Vietnam, embracing the ever-accelerating speed of technology, the importance of adapting to the opportunities and challenges, and much more.
Don Elario is the Electronic Component Industry Association (ECIA)’s Vice President of Industry Practices and Russ Dzielak is Phoenix Contact’s Director of Channel and Key Accounts; they are both part of ECIA’s Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) that works together to solve common cross-supply chain industry challenges.
A work group of the GIPC has been meeting regularly to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace. This group has issued a report on this topic entitled, “Workplace Disruption – How It Is Changing”.
In this interview, the three discuss the report, the work of the GIPC within the electronic components supply chain, the changing workplace post-pandemic, and much more.
Eric spoke with Ramon just after APEX 2022. They discuss their experiences meeting with colleagues after a two-year hiatus, Dr. Koh’s visit to the show, the e-vehicle business in Mexico, the new Koh Young America/Mexico organization, the power of the demo center in Mexico, the strength of the talent pool in Mexico and much more.
In this episode of EMSNOW Up Close, Eric talks to Chintan Sutaria, President of CalcuQuote, whose software solution is proving its value during the recent component shortages. Chintan explains how CalcuQuote’s customers, primarily high mix, low volume EMS, are able to more efficiently source components, execute orders, and get alternatives for parts that are unavailable.
The two also discuss Chintan’s new role within CalcuQuote, and a sneak peek into the company’s next product announcement. CalcuQuote will be at Booth 2033 at APEX in San Diego.
In this information-packed interview, François Monette, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer and Mitch DeCaire, Director of Business Development, Cogiscan explain how the iTAC/Cogiscan combination provides a valuable solution for customers as they implement Industry 4.0. Continuing their modular and scalable consultative approach the iTAC connection enables an expansion of Cogiscan’s offering with iTAC Software AG’s MES/MOM Suite. The conversation includes plans for APEX, and an in-depth look into this engineering-driven company.
It happens every year and every year it's a big challenge. This year that challenge is amplified by COVID and by the current supply chain disruptions which are causing huge problems for both parts supply and logistics. Along with host and EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll, Season Group President and CEO Carl Hung and TITOMA CEO Case Engelen get into the how, why and what of CNY22 and offer some advice on managing through the choppy waters around the Lunar New Year celebrations.
In this mash up of "EMSNOW on Tour" and "MADE IN EUROPE" Philip Stoten asked Dieter Weiss and Eric Miscoll to succinctly share their insights from their three-week tour of the European EMS industry, as featured in their own popular podcast series.
While succinctly was a challenge for these two industry veterans, they were indeed insightful and topics like regional manufacturing, consolidation and of course shortages, of materials and talent, came up repeatedly.
It seemed like both Eric and Dieter enjoyed their time together but were ready to say farewell, even if just for a while. Philip also shares his own point of view, boldly predicting that there will be at least three EMS in Europe with sales over $1B by the end of 2022, let's see if he's right...
Eric and Dieter reflect on their three-week journey through Europe in this last episode of EMSNOW On Tour for this trip.
They visited 13 companies and discovered some common themes including the most prominent challenges - material supply chain disruptions and talent shortages.
Eric asks Dieter what advice he would give companies experiencing the 'eye of the storm' going into 2022. His frank and well-founded comments are well worth a listen as these two seasoned EMS industry pundits say goodbye for now.
In this episode of EMSNOW On Tour, Eric and Dieter discuss their visit across the border from Bavaria to the Swiss EMS companies Cicor and Vosch.
The two share their experiences traveling into Switzerland with ever evolving covid health guidelines, as well as their impressions of the two uniquely positioned global EMS companies. Cicor's CEO Alexander Hagemann and VP of Strategic Sales and Business Development Dr. Michele Stampanoni explained that company's focus on high mix, low volume, complex PCB technology, serving the 'AIM' market sector, aerospace/defense, industrial and medical. Vosch's CEO Uwe Frech demonstrated their impressive 'low-touch' storage and assembly systems where components are placed with very little human contact.
It's another fun conversation with some fascinating insights into how two companies execute their strategy.
In this episode Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to AsteelFlash and Prufrex.
AsteelFlash is in the Top 20 EMS and the two discuss AsteelFlash's recent acquisition strategy, both companies' skillful adaptation to local customer requirements, their impressive range of capabilities well matched to customer needs and much more.
In a pause between factory visits, Eric and Dieter explore the some of the key macro and micro trends impacting the industry. In this episode they explore the trend related to moving manufacturing out of China and the potential growth in regionalization, or local-for-local.
Supply chain, logistics issues, continued risk, trade wars and geopolitical issue are all playing into the desire to reshore, in some cases OEMs are even insourcing manufacturing previous undertaken in Asia.
With increased domestic demand, those with factories in China are using that capacity for that region and growing European capacity for Europe.
Dieter also highlights trends around increased factory floor inventory and the ongoing related cash issues. Dieter points out that in these cases cash is king!
Eric Miscoll reports from Europe on the current business conditions across the pond, with his sidekick Dieter Weiss.
Their posting, originally published in video on EMSNOW, is a conversation with Petteri Jokitalo, CEO of Scanfil, a Finland-based global EMS.
The three discuss Scanfil’s differentiators, how the company is adapting to supply chain disruptions, overall conditions in Europe as 2021 closes out and much more.
Back on the road again, and still COVID free, Eric and Dieter visit BMK in Augsburg, close to Munich. BMK was an MBO of a very large Siemens campus, the company is female led and has a creative and innovative approach to automation, using tools like 3D Printing to accelerate products through production.
Next up they visited Steca, A Katek brand, also known as KATEK Memmingen GmbH. Acquired in 2019, Steca is an innovative EMS with focus on the photovoltaic market. KATEK has grown through M&A and is likely to end 2021 in third or forth spot in Europe behind Zollner and Scanfil, and very close in revenue to Enics.
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss find their way through the snow to the Czech border and the town of Zandt, home to Europe's largest domestic EMS and the world's largest privately owned EMS, Zollner.
As Eric so eloquently puts it, "the power and the might of tier one was on display". It is hard not to be impressed by the scale, but also by the level of integration, of capability and of expertise and experience. Zollner have nine factories in Germany and many more all around the world. They are recognized and approve in China to supply the Chinese government. They are active in Silicon Valley and in Costa Rica, and all their factories are part of organic growth and development, not acquisitions.
In the training center, Eric and Dieter saw the high level of professional training offered to apprentices. Even the grandson of Manfred Zandt, the founder of the company is undertaking a Zollner apprenticeship.
This time EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll and European EMS Guru Dieter Weiss started their day in Germany with SERO GmbH and ended it in the Netherlands at Neways.
SERO is a top 40 European EMS with close to three decades of history that was acquired in 2018 by the management and a private equity firm. Since then they've added facilities in the Netherlands and Slovakia and are close to adding a facility in Florida, USA. This sparks the conversation about global footprints, why size matters and how to get the necessary scale, and oddly a tangent related to cow sensors...
Neways is a top ten European EMS, recently 98% acquired by a family office investor. They also have a US footprint, this time in Milpitas, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Following more M&A discussion and some insight into consolidation in Europe and beyond, 'the boys' explore the value of standard equipment sets and systems to make managing a global simpler as projects are moved or repeated in different sites.
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their day at two of Southern Germany's leading and oldest EMS companies, RAWE Electronics and RAFI. They discuss the longterm and sticky nature of the relationships these companies enjoy with their customers, underlining the value of deep partnerships as compared to the expense and risk of changing vendors for a few cents in price reduction.
They also explore topics like industry segmentation and Dieter explains why he thinks the right sector choices are important and why he think agricultural electronics is an interesting industry segment. Tomorrow the dynamic duo travel to Sero GmbH and to Neways.
Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss air their differences in public, starting with a comparison of the EMS sectors in the US and Europe. They touch on hot topics like consolidation, organic versus inorganic growth, and the fundamental questions about outsourcing over insourcing.
They also explore the goldilocks question - what size EMS partner is just right, before leveling into the talent shortages, how alliances can help smaller players, social awareness in purchasing habits, regionalization and the risks posed by talents shortages.
This is a must hear chat between two experienced and opinionated followers of the EMS industry.
Fresh from their hike in the mountains, Eric a Dieter share their thoughts and insight from a successful event in Tallinn where Dieter provided the keynote and Eric moderated a panel. The pair go on to discuss some key developments in the industry, before sharing some feedback from their visit to ASM Assembly Systems' Center of Excellence at the Munich headquarters.
The two wrap up with a preview of what's coming in what looks like a very busy week.
Fresh from the Thanksgiving celebrations, EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll boarded the first flight to Europe to meet with EMS industry guru and friend Dieter Weiss with whom he will share a three week road trip. After a short stop to catch his breathe, Eric arrived in Tallinn, capital of Estonia to meet a few people, visit a few factories and attend the "IPC Day 2021 - From EMS to the Moon and Beyond"
In this opening episode of this European tour, Eric and Dieter preview the event and talk about what is driving the EMS industry in Estonia and throughout Europe...
Learn more at https://emsnow.com or at https://in4ma.de
2019's big disruption was the trade war between China and the US, in 2020 it was COVID-19, and now in 2021 the biggest challenge facing the manufacturing industry is supply chain shortages. What will it be in 2022? Perhaps more of the same, perhaps all of the above?
In this episode of The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show), Philip and Eric talk to FLEX Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer Lynn Torrel and TTIi Americas' President Don Akery. If they don't know what's going on, who does? The panel explores the scale and impact of the current shortages, the effect on specific segments, the timing and shape of the recovery, the gravity of changes in the logistics and freight market, strategies for navigating issues, the importance of data, changing manufacturing trends, and the need for open and honest collaboration up and down the supply chain. Don't miss this one!!
The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show) is sponsored by Koh Young America (https://www.kohyoung.com)