Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1038326
96 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2018 Feature by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Sometimes it seems as if the PCB manufac- turing industry is slow to evolve and resistant to change overall. But if you have a great idea, word spreads fast through this tightly-knit community. Bob Lazzara, president of Circuit Connect in Nashua, New Hampshire, has encouragement for GreenSource. "When Whelen went zero- discharge for their new facility, everyone ap- plauded," says Lazzara. "Kudos to Whelen. Their strong presence has had the side effect of bringing suppliers back to the region." Laz- arra sees this as an indirect positive result. More supplier presence means more options for Circuit Connect to innovate, evolve, and re- fine their processes too. The local PCB fabri- cation industry has been "decimated," accord- ing to Lazzara. The migration started 35 years ago, and companies are still shutting down fa- cilities. By Lazzara's count, four board shops have closed in the last four years. Circuit Connect has operated under this name since 1990. When founder and CEO Richard Clutz started the company, his first ac- tion was to design, specify, and install waste treatment systems. Clutz did not proceed with the rest of the facility until the waste treatment infrastructure had been inspected and permit- ted by local and state oversight. "Because of this early awareness years back," Lazzara says, "Circuit Connect became a mod- el site for future chemistry businesses in New Hampshire. Companies looking to start a simi- lar business in New Hampshire had to tour our facility to see how we operate." He adds, "Car- ing and awareness for the environment have been here since day one." Circuit Connect is four months away from certification as a zero- discharge facility as well. What drives the all-green culture in New Hampshire PCB fabrication? "We did it be- cause it's the right thing to do," Lazzara re- plies. "New England was ground zero for the American Industrial Revolution. Manufacturers took advantage of the systems of rivers in the region to mechanize, going from water wheels to steam generation and beyond. But those fac- tories also used the rivers as their sewers and gutters. Throughout New England's history,