Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1069358
24 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2019 Feature Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Wayne Antal, a key account manager with NCAB Group, discusses supply chain issues, the effect he sees on PCB fabrication channels, and how his customers are adapting to the new business dynamics. This is part one of a two-part conversation with Antal. Look for part two next month. Nolan Johnson: Today, I'm speaking with Wayne Antal from NCAB. Wayne, could you introduce yourself and describe what NCAB is doing in the industry? Wayne Antal: I've been with NCAB Group for about five years now. My industry experience goes back into the '80s just coming out of high school. I joined the military to start electronics training. After getting out of the military, I started working for various contract manufacturers and OEM companies. Before, I worked with CMs mostly as a program manager, and then in the last five years, I've gone to circuit boards only at NCAB. My time with NCAB being a key manager is an outside sales position, but I don't consider myself a prototypical salesperson; I'm more of a problem solver. The circuit board is the key component towards any electronics build; it's the platform that everything starts and moves forward from. From that standpoint, finding out what the customer's needs are is the main avenue we use to create a value-add within our customer base, and maybe it will pick me up some new customers. Johnson: NCAB has seen a lot of success lately. Antal: That's right. We've unlocked success. Our best customers are the most informed customers who know what they're looking for, especially the newer customers that I have; they come to me knowing what they want, what our capabilities are, they've done their homework, and they understand what the value-add is, which are always the best customers to have. Johnson: As you talk to people—buyers, procurement, your front line people at customer sites, etc.—what are some of the issues NCAB Group on Supply Chain Issues