I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Reading time ( words)

This week’s top five is a smattering across the industry. There’s an update on an established vendor and a press release from a startup. Then, we have two columns: one on M&A, and the other on supply chain disruptions. Finally, I highlight an interview from a U.S. food distributor sales manager, shedding light on the similarities of supply chain interruption in all industries. It's quite an assortment, but what they all have in common is that readers found these items compelling.

Dale Smith and David Moody: Lenthor Pushing Limits to Flex Technology
Published 7/21

Andy Shaughnessy speaks with Dale Smith and David Moody from Lenthor Engineering. Dale recently joined the Lenthor team, and he talks about his list of projects underway. David shares an operations update on Lenthor during COVID-19 and what he thinks is the future landscape.

Avishtech Announces Gauss Stack and Gauss 2D PCB Modeling Software
Published 7/20

Avishtech is a startup, making its debut on the open market with some modeling software that’s quite innovative. I-Connect007 followed up, interviewing founder Keshav Amla for an upcoming feature. If design and/or CAM engineering is your thing, you’ll want to catch up on Avishtech.

Punching Out! Acquiring a Distressed Company by Tom Kastner
Published 7/20

“Everyone loves a bargain,” Kastner starts his column, continuing, “Here are some thoughts on acquiring a distressed or underperforming business.” Tom’s columns are consistently well-read; this column, however, caused a spike. Apparently, everyone likes reading about how to spot a bargain, too.

Lean Digital Thread: Driving Productivity Excellence—Lean PCB Manufacturing
Published 7/22

Sagi Reuven gets a little vulnerable in this column, in a good way. COVID-19 helped Sagi, a digital factory expert, experience the impact of an interrupted supply chain first-hand. He shares what he learned, which makes for a compelling read.

Selling in a Post-COVID Environment
Published 7/21

Sometimes, it helps to look outside your own industry for a sanity check. I-Connect007 did just that, conducting an interview with Penny Cole, a regional sales manager for a food wholesaler. Penny shares stories and lessons learned from food distribution; it’s telling how applicable her lessons are to our business, as well. Based on the reads, you thought so too.

06/02/2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007

This week has been both speedy and newsy. Of course, those two characteristics often seem to travel as a pair, don’t they? A four-day week here in the United States, accompanied by a wave of high-impact news from a wide variety of sources, would suggest that readers could be expected to spread out all over the news map. Not so much, judging from readership numbers; folks all found their highest value in the same type of news coverage. This week's list of must-reads is dominated by market reports as a result of that focused readership. On our list, we have PCB fabrication and EMS book-to-bill reports, a 10-year market forecast report, and a supply chain sentiment report. In addition, readers flocked to the EWPTE show coverage. Finally, we saw significant reader interest in the most recent podcast on sustainability in our logistical operations.

05/19/2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007

This week, our must-reads include reporting on the new PCB support legislation, now submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives; financial results from two Tier 1 manufacturers, which readers read quite thoroughly; ESG in Asia Pacific; new features from Altium; global sourcing; and a “How I got here” interview with an up and coming industry expert.

05/17/2023 | Philip Stoten

This last weekend, industry guru and dear friend to many, Martin Cotton passed away. He was one of the first people I worked with in the electronics industry when I joined Toptec Design to learn to layout PCBs. He was a bit of a rock star to many PCB designers, myself included. He was known to be among the best in his field, if not the best, and went on to be one of the most influential and innovative people in the industry over a long and distinguished career. He will be hugely missed by his family and by his numerous friends in and out of the electronics industry.