Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1428512
20 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2021 Feature Interview by Pete Starkey I-CONNECT007 Pete Starkey visits with Peter Brandt, direc- tor of sales, Europe and Japan for atg Luther & Maelzer, who reflects upon joining the Mycronic group, discusses market and tech- nology trends in testing, and what to expect from atg at this year's productronica. Pete Starkey: Recently, atg Luther & Maelzer was acquired by Mycronic. How will atg Luther & Maelzer integrate into the Mycronic group? Peter Brandt: As of June, atg became a member of the Mycronic shareholding group headquar- tered in Sweden and we are now part of this big European technology company. Mycronic was our first choice during the transfer pro- cess. We talked to several potential buyers, and in the end, we were very lucky to be acquired by Mycronic because they are a technology leader in the assembly and loaded board busi- ness. ey produce pick-and-place systems, bonding systems, and digital mask writers. ey know exactly how it works in the world of investment products. It's nice that we are talk- ing about the same issues when doing a fore- cast for the next year or when you need capital equipment. You don't always know; do you sell this machine, do you get the order next year, or it is canceled? We have more or less the same base market, but we can keep atg Luther & Mael- zer as our own complete sales channel because Mycronic is located in the assembly and loaded board industry, and we are in the bare board industry. is means with our supply and our supporting chain—like our agents, distribu- tors, and our complete service and sales orga- nization—we keep it like it is. We are part of a technology company, but we can transfer our production, sales, and service; everything else stays the same because there is no actual con- solidation process. e size of Mycronic in relation to atg is also very good. We are approximately 10% of the revenue of Mycronic, which provides us with a strong financial background when we must finance machines, need bank warranties, or something like this. On the other hand, we are already a significant part of the business unit of Mycronic. Fascinating Opportunities in Flying Probe Testing