The NEDME team is very pleased to have ControlTek as one of our great sponsors this year. We caught up with Bonnie Hadley, Electronics Design & Manufacturing Sales at ControlTek, and she shared some of her thoughts with us in advance of the show.
Tell us about one of your favorite things about the NW electronics community.
What I enjoy most about the NW electronics industry is the “small town” feeling. Full of collaboration, even among competitors, willing to help out with anything, from parts shortages or tips on ISO certification. Comparing the Pacific Northwest to Silicon Valley, for example, is like comparing the wine industry in the Willamette Valley to that in Napa Valley. Here, it’s more congenial, open and welcoming. It really is a “community”.
Are there particular changes in the electronics marketplace that you think your company is especially well-positioned to meet?
The projects customers are bringing in are becoming more complex and often include the newest technology. Our design and test engineers are working on products that incorporate features like GPS, Bluetooth, encryption, motor control, power management, ethernet, various radio protocols — and they need to be current with all of them. When product design is complete, our manufacturing engineers are ready to engage with the latest production equipment, such as jet solder printing and 3D AOI, raising the bar for quality and efficiency. Our ability to adapt to the changing needs of the marketplace is one of the reasons ControlTek has been in business for so long!
What are you hoping to get out of sponsoring this year’s NEDME?
Naturally, we want to participate in promoting the Northwest electronics industry, and connect with lots of potential EDMS customers at NEDME. We also see this as a great opportunity to interact with existing customers, suppliers, competitors and our network of external partners. We want to keep abreast of what’s new, what’s changing and what’s over the horizon.