Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1228683
APRIL 2020 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 21 Johnson: What are you going to do with the ex- tra capacity? Kadah: The goal is to sell that extra capacity for the support of other essential businesses and, hopefully, capture domestic market share as a result and employ more people here in Upstate New York. Johnson: In this current environment, you have not only the ability to deliver on all of your in-house manufacturing requirements, but you have the capacity that you can make available to other design teams who may find themselves frozen out from their usual supply chain. Kadah: That's the whole idea behind pushing this into motion as fast as possible: to help out other companies. Certainly, it will be helping us because we think that the existing business will slow with the economy as a result of the pandemic. However, if we add new things to build and find new customers, we think we can grow through the worst of times. Almost always in a recession, our company grows, and I'm going to give you my take on that. When everyone's booming, it's difficult to get time out of a purchasing agent or an engi- neer in a big company. The lines are full, their customer backlog is huge, and they're shipping like crazy. They're complacent and happy. It's during the tough times that those engineers and purchasing agents are being challenged by their managers to reduce cost and or de- sign something new. That's typically when we grow, in recession, which is counterintuitive. That has been true for the last 35 years. Johnson: If ever there's a case study for taking difficult and challenging times and working it to advantage, there it is. Kadah: Again, it's because a lot of big compa- nies tend to be so departmentalized; they have to have a big board of directors meeting, and they'll debate it for three months before they move on something. Around here, we'll debate it for three hours, and then we'll go because we have no choice. Similar to shifting all of these people's work times, I have no choice. Within 35 hours or something like that, I have to be compliant with the law. We have to ma- neuver, or we all have to go home. Johnson: Andy, thanks for taking the time, amidst all this chaos, to talk with us. It's like you let us into your war room with you during this interview. We'll let you get back to solving these challenges. Kadah: Thanks, everyone! SMT007 Editor's note: Shortly after this interview con- cluded, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential businesses to close throughout the state of New York. However, ICM Controls re- ceived authorization as an exempt and essential business; read more on that here. As of this writ- ing, the company is staffed and in production. The ICM Controls facility in Syracuse, New York.