Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers in many regards resemble OEMs – they design, assemble, ship and even support end products. But the distinctions between the businesses are extremely important, particularly when it comes to matters of compliance. The conflict minerals provision of the Dodd-Frank Act, for example, requires manufacturers to disclose the use of tin,…
Depending on how one defines “reshoring,” manufacturing activity is increasing in the Americas. Specifically, electronics businesses and researchers say, Mexico is the biggest beneficiary of North American manufacturing companies re-thinking their global footprint. An executive of a U.S.-based electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company at a recent ECIA gathering said that bad experiences in China have had…
As millennials begin to replace baby boomers in the electronics workforce, corporate priorities are beginning to shift. Millennials place significant value on their employer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) stance, for example. As companies try to do good, however, they are also increasing their supply chain risks. Risk mitigation has become top of mind in the…
When ZeeVee Inc. was founded in 2007, its principals knew exactly where it would manufacture: China. A significant number of OEMs and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers had spent the prior decade moving manufacturing facilities there, so ZeeVee decided to follow best practices at that time. Today, ZeeVee, a manufacturer of video and signal distribution…
Sanmina Corp. is the new investors’ darling of the contract manufacturing industry. Its stock price has surged at a double-digit clip in recent days despite tepid sales growth and amidst continuing signs visibility into end-markets remain limited. What accounts for this disparity? Sanmina isn’t exactly the same company it was only a few years ago.…
After two long decades of jealously watching China rise to become the world’s No. 2 economy, India appears to be finally getting the attention of electronics manufacturers and may be on the cusp of benefitting from OEMs’ unceasing search for lower-cost production centers to boost competitiveness and increase profits. Foxconn International Ltd. is the latest…
Plexus Corp. has lowered its fiscal third quarter revenue and profit estimates due to production problems at one of its factories and unanticipated weakness in demand from customers in the networking and communications equipment market. The Wisconsin-based electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider said it now projects revenue for the quarter ended July 4 will be…
The high-tech industry has spent the better part of two decades working the kinks out of a supply chain that expanded rapidly into China. In addition to the bureaucracy the move entailed – many companies had to partner with a Chinese company in order to literally get a foot on the ground—the logistics of designing…
Plexus Corp. (PLXS), said Impinj, a leading provider of RAIN RFID (radio-frequency identification) solutions that deliver Item Intelligence(TM), recognized Plexus as their 2014 Partner of the Year. The award acknowledges Plexus for providing exceptional quality, on-time delivery, and collaborative engineering services for a new product introduction during 2014 that required quick-turn development of a complicated…
In his role as president of Arrow Electronics Inc.’s Americas components business, Alan Bird is responsible for all customer and supplier relationships, sales and the management of employees. During his 25 years in the electronics industry he has seen tremendous change, including the growth of outsourcing to China and other parts of Asia; economic recessions; the…