-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
IEC: Celebrating 50 Years in Business
April 27, 2016 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
I caught up with Shawn Stone of IEC recently, to discuss plating, laminates, printed electronics and IEC’s many strategic alliances, including their most recent agreement with ITEQ to distribute their copper-clad laminate line throughout North America. This alliance will give IEC, a company his father started more than 50 years ago, its first North American footprint.
Barry Matties: Shawn, lets provide a little background for our readers. I think IEC was started back in 1966, and it was your father who started it, right?
Shawn Stone: My father, Jim Stone, actually started in 1963, and then he incorporated the company in 1966. The first product line was Mica copper-clad laminate. Then Chemcut, and then the third product line that he picked up was Dynachem, which of course is Dow today. Chuck and I founded the U.S. company in 1998, and our first product line was Morton Electronic Materials.
Matties: In the 50 years of business, what's been the most surprising to you?
Stone: It's funny, but when I think back to when I started in '84, I worked in a circuit board shop and then I started working for IEC in '86; the trajectory of the business was like a rocket ship. We kind of kept pace with that, so now when I look back to the ‘80s and the ‘90s, it was almost easy in a way. There were different challenges, but nothing like the challenges that we've had in the last 12–15 years.
Matties: What are some of those challenges? What's the greatest challenge?
Stone: I think the morphing of the business when the majority of the business left to China. The actual circuit board manufacturing that left North America and went to Asia was the biggest impact. Then, of course, we had to readjust our business to reflect the new marketplace. That was a moving piece that was hard to understand at the time. I think I understand it now in hindsight, but I didn't really understand it all that well as it was happening.
Matties: That's a pretty common view, that the China migration was huge. Back in the ‘80s so many people were just making so much money and profit with 3000 shops in North America.
Stone: Those market conditions made a lot of us look smarter than we actually were. Up until about 2001 the industry was so robust, and the growth of our company was phenomenal.
Matties: What kind of growth are you seeing now?
Stone: We've seen some solid growth, but we've done it in a couple of different ways. One of the ways has been through acquisition, like when we bought Intermountain Circuit Supply in 2012. The other way is through distribution. Last year in 2015 we assumed the ITEQ copper-clad laminate line from a previous distributor. Those are a couple of ways that we've grown. My father did the heavy lifting in terms of getting the company going, and that to me is the hardest thing. To take the initial inertia that you have, and to take a company and grow it to the level that he grew it. We bought the company in ‘92, and we inherited a very solid foundation, if you will.
If we fast forward to now, presently the biggest thing for us was the acquisition of Intermountain Circuit Supply. That was certainly a big help. Being strong in our legacy territories has certainly helped us, and now moving forward with the ITEQ product line we actually, for the first time, have a North American footprint where we were granted exclusive rights to that product line for all of North America.
Matties: That’s a pretty crowded and competitive space though, isn't it?
Stone: Yes, it is.
Matties: Because there is obviously well established competition and a lot of money in this market space. What's your strategy to carry that forward and to really capture market share?
Stone: We're trying to win one customer at a time, and our role in this is that it's incumbent upon us and our duty to help keep our customers in business, and it's a synergistic thing. We have to give them the best possible quality at the most competitive price with the technical service and support to back that up, along with efficient supply chain management. Historically, the technical service and support piece has been the strength of our company versus other distributors, and I can give you an example if we look at the job that we've done with PTH chemistry. We have over 30 electroless lines in North America, and we have people that work with us that came from Legacy Shipley.
Chuck's mantra is that service and technical support equal sales. It's not the other way around. Service and tech support first, and that will bring in the sales.
Page 1 of 3
Suggested Items
AIM to Highlight NC259FPA Ultrafine No Clean Solder Paste at SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum
04/18/2024 | AIMAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum taking place on May 7 at the Four Points by Sheraton | Milwaukee Airport, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Hentec/RPS Publishes an Essential Guide to Selective Soldering Processing Tech Paper
04/17/2024 | Hentec Industries/RPS AutomationHentec Industries/RPS Automation, a leading manufacturer of selective soldering, lead tinning and solderability test equipment, announces that it has published a technical paper describing the critical process parameters that need to be optimized to ensure optimal results and guarantee the utmost in end-product quality.
Empowering Electronics Assembly: Introducing ALPHA Innolot MXE Alloy
04/16/2024 | MacDermid Alpha Electronics SolutionsIn the rapidly evolving electronics industry, where innovation drives progress, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions is committed to setting a new standard. Today, we are pleased to introduce ALPHA Innolot MXE, a revolutionary alloy meticulously engineered to address the critical needs of enhanced reliability and performance in modern electronic assemblies.
New Book on Low-temperature Soldering Now Available
04/17/2024 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is pleased to announce that The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Low-temperature Soldering, Vol. 2, by subject matter experts at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, is now available for download.
Inkjet Solder Mask ‘Has Arrived’
04/10/2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007I was delighted to be invited to attend an interactive webinar entitled “Solder Mask Coating Made Easy with Additive Manufacturing,” hosted by SUSS MicroTec Netherlands in Eindhoven. The webinar was introduced and moderated by André Bodegom, managing director at Adeon Technologies, and the speakers were Mariana Van Dam, senior product manager PCB imaging solutions at AGFA in Belgium; Ashley Steers, sales manager at Electra Polymers in the UK; and Dr. Luca Gautero, product manager at SUSS MicroTec Netherlands.