U.S. manufacturing experts say when it comes to China, trade and tariffs, industries such as electronics should keep their eye on the long game. “The [Trump] administration is playing a larger chess game than it is given credit for,” said Tom Derry, CEO of the Institute for Supply Management. “It’s not just about aluminum and…
U.S. electronics companies are feeling the pressure of widespread component shortages, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s latest report. Although the overall U.S. manufacturing index — the PMI — remains robust, supply constraints and extended lead times have caused some computer and electronic companies to delay or even miss sales opportunities. “Supply constraints, extended lead…
Chuck Delph, Avnet Inc.’s president of Electronics Marketing for the Americas since 2016, is the latest Avnet veteran to depart the company. Delph has been named president of Vallen Distribution, effective April 9, 2018, and will be based in Vallen’s Belmont, NC, headquarters. Delph is among a number of senior executives who have left Avnet…
Microchip Technology Inc.’s $10.1 billion acquisition of Microsemi Corp. will not have a short-term impact on the suppliers’ distribution relationships, Microchip chairman and CEO Steve Sanghi told analysts last week. Microchip conducts business with many of Microsemi’s distributors, he added, and post-merger channel relationships will be jointly evaluated after the deal is closed. For the…
U.S. factory activity in February reached its highest level since May 2004, indicating sustained strength across all U.S. manufacturing sectors. The nation’s leading factory index, the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI, reached 60.8 percent in February, up 1.7 percentage points from January’s reading of 59.1 percent. The February data represents the 106th straight month of…
The pace of U.S. manufacturing growth cooled off a bit in January although overall, domestic production remains solidly in expansion mode. The Institute for Supply Management’s leading indicator, the PMI, reached 59.1 percent in January – one of the highest numbers since December of 2004. Although the PMI slipped 0.2 percentage points from December, any number…
Phil Gallagher is optimistic about Avnet Inc. Following the announcement of the distributor’s fiscal Q2 earnings, the president of Avnet’s electronic components business assessed the company’s progress after a tumultuous 18 months. “We are making progress,” Gallagher said. “We are excited about where we are. We feel we are coming out the other side of a number…
For 80 years, Molex LLC has specialized in wire, cable, components and connectors. Now, the iconic Lisle, IL electronics company is investing in a future that’s being built on wireless connectivity. Molex was founded and run by the Krehbiel family until its $7.2 billion acquisition by Koch Industries in 2013. Molex has a long history…
The pace of U.S. factory activity surged in December, propelling the manufacturing industry to its best year since 2004. The Institute for Supply Management’s leading index, the PMI, grew by 1.5 percent to reach 59.7 percent in December. That brought 2017 to an average PMI of 57.6 percent. “This is the second highest number in…
All annual business forecasts have a theme, and 2018 will mark the year of the supply chain’s digital transformation. By the end of 2018, half of manufacturers will be using analytics, IoT, and social collaboration tools to extend the integrated planning process throughout the enterprise in real time, according to IDC. Digital transformation is opening…