Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1437606
DECEMBER 2021 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 51 in, predominantly, military and defense. And you had the continued investment for NPI work. Probably, the biggest volatil- ity, the biggest headaches, have been the supply disruptions that we're all trying to manage. Imagine if this were the automo- tive China market. How would the indus- try react to that kind of an upswing? Matties: Such as when Ford had to shut down the new Bronco production line. at wasn't in their business plan. Do you have any final thoughts that you would like to share with the industry? T. Kelly: I think, ultimately, Isola contin- ues to invest in the business to support its customers. Looking forward, we want to continue to increase that service level, and we can always do a better job. Right now, we must keep a high level of urgency and remain transparent. If we can do that, stay the course and laser-focused on the things we can control, we'll be a good supplier to our customers. Mirshafiei: It's exciting to be part of an organi- zation that has invested quite a bit of money in North America, specifically to adapt to the model that's needed here. at creates value and helps solve problems. Certainly, it's been hard with the supply chain and COVID-related challenges, but that will gradually pass. What remains will be the investment we made to sup- port the resiliency of supply in North America to be able to provide options to our customers that need products quickly and not have to rely on older equipment that wasn't really designed to service this changing market that we're in. at creates value for our customers. E. Kelley: We want to build into our product development so we are not overly reliant on fragile supply chains. But, looking forward, whether it's electric vehicles, 5G, or the real advanced applications yet to come, there are years of technological progress ahead. Niziolek: Process reliability is what our custom- ers expect from us. You can't overlook the sim- ple or the obvious. is environment over the last 18 to 24 months has reinforced that for me as an operations professional. It's the fundamen- tals that truly matter: how well you execute, and how repeatedly you execute against those fun- damentals. It ought to be obvious to you when it's happening. But turnover at the fringe has exasperated that, not only for Isola but for vir- tually everybody, be it the fast-food drive-thru or any of our customers. It's been powerful to me, and I appreciate the industry and my col- leagues. I've visited customers. I see the chal- lenges firsthand and I think that, by and large, it has been handled admirably. at doesn't mean we're thrilled, but I'm excited to be part of the team trying to solve these challenges. Matties: Well done! ank you for opening your doors and inviting me in. is has been really great. To see an investment in North Amer- ica is wonderful, but to see a smart investment makes it even better. It's wisely done. T. Kelly: anks, Barry. Mirshafiei: ank you. PCB007 Travis Kelly in the new facility.