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Conversations with…Bill Hanson of AccuKraft
March 22, 2012 |Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
AccuKraft’s business is plating racks--the design, fabrication, protection, and upkeep of plating racks and corrosive-resistant baskets. The Hillsboro, Oregon-based company is at the top of the field, and no one will disagree on the importance of these products for the day-to-day operations of a PCB manufacturer.
Sure, plating racks are not glamorous. But often the most important, taken-for-granted parts of our lives are not. And it is only when they break down that we are hit with the full impact of just how critical they are.
That’s when you want to deal with a person who is dedicated and passionate about the product in question. For plating racks, that person is most certainly Bill Hanson, general manager of AccuKraft. Bill is a great example of a man who knows his business better than anyone else.
Bill made the move from finance to plating racks more than a decade ago, and the time, effort and even the way he goes about helping his customers are tributes to his passion and dedication. I had the opportunity to spend some time with Bill recently, and we discussed his business, even while he worked at a client company’s board shop.
Dan Beaulieu: Bill, how did you become involved in this business?
Bill Hanson: My brother, Gary Hanson, actually was in this business first, and then brought me into it. He started in the PCB industry, working with companies such as Praegitzer. Some of AccuKraft’s first customers were TEK, Westak, and ECD, to name a few. After graduating from college, I worked in finance, doing research and analysis. During that time, I had been talking to my brother about his business and was helping him, so I became familiar with it. Unfortunately, my brother died in 2001, at which time I took over the business. I started working here full time in 2003.
Beaulieu: That is a sad way to get more involved in this business. But I have to say Bill, following you around today, you really do have a passion for this product.
Hanson: Absolutely! I believe that the quality of your work ,whatever that may be, is extremely important. These companies, my clients, are in a very challenging and competitive business and I want to do whatever I can to help them. My philosophy is to let me worry about their plating racks. I want to be responsible so that my customers don’t have to worry--at least not about that. When I walk into a shop, I make the decision on whether or not their racks need to be recoated, repaired, or replaced. The ones that do need recoating I take with me, and I leave some that I’ve just coated in their place. Why should the customer even have to think about this when it’s my business to do it for them?
Beaulieu: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your business today?
Hanson: Without a doubt, it’s my size. I need to grow this business to take care of more shops, especially here on the West Coast. There are a number of national companies that do what I do, but they don’t give the attention to detail that AccuKraft does. They are involved in many products and provide a number of services; plating racks is just one of them. Because this is my only business, I am a true, undiluted expert. I live, eat and sleep racks and protective coatings, and I want my customers to benefit from that.
Beaulieu: How are you looking to grow your business right now?
Hanson: There is a growing need for anti-corrosive protective coatings in many industrial applications. AccuKraft is actively expanding into other industries. I am doing more work in the marine industry right now, for example.
Beaulieu: What are your thoughts on the North American PCB industry?
Hanson: This a hard time for everyone. I know my customers are struggling to remain competitive, especially in the face of offshore competition. That’s why I try to do my part and help them out as much as I can by giving them the best value possible. Fortunately, I see a bit more work staying on this side of the ocean now. But the loss of the big shops, like TTM Redmond, for example, has hurt all of us who have created our business around supporting PCB manufacturing facilities in the U.S.
Beaulieu: I know from past discussions that AccuKraft is actively working to obtain more of the plating rack market share, especially in California. What is your plan for this growth?
Hanson: I have put together something that I think the California shops are really going to respond to. AccuKraft wants to be proactive, not reactive. Why wait until it’s already broken? Our new offering is a subscription program for consistent and ongoing support. We figure out the individual shop’s rack usages and recoating needs for an entire year, broken down on a monthly basis. From that, we can develop a support plan for them based on their company’s individual needs. We can then make arrangements to automatically replace racks that need coating with new coated ones monthly. As far as the shop goes, it’s a “don’t make me think about it” program. All they have to do is agree to the plan and the terms and they don’t have to worry about their plating racks again. That shop will always be working with the best racks possible.
Beaulieu: When do you plan to roll that out?
Hanson: We are finishing the details, but we are nearly ready to present it to our customers and prospects. We expect to announce in a few weeks’ time.
Beaulieu: Bill, I know that AccuKraft does some custom work. Tell me about that.
Hanson: One of my favorite things to do is help customers solve problems. I will work with them to find a way to plate a part that just doesn’t fit into a standard rack, for example, or maybe one that needs more selective plating, or even work with them on capacity challenges. AccuKraft is not just about the plating racks. I can actually help them solve some of their plating issues by designing custom racks to address their needs. As I said earlier, I love helping my customers solve their problems.
Beaulieu: Bill, you certainly know your stuff. It’s been fun talking with you today. And thanks for allowing me to watch you work.
Hanson: Thank you, Dan. I enjoyed it very much.