Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1469343
10 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2022 Feature Interview by the I-Connect007 Editorial Staff Dan Beaulieu and Nolan Johnson recently had a conversation with Christopher Kalmus of Aurora Circuits and Brigitte Lawrence of Bri- gitflex. Joining them was Jeff Brandman of Ais- malibar North America. e group discussed the value of partnerships, noting how it has helped them win and keep business. ey also describe a recent project for an OEM manufac- turer in the automotive industry that served as a case study for this discussion. Nolan Johnson: What does partnership mean in your working relationship? Christopher Kalmus: It means working together, trying to solve a problem that's of value to all of us. Brigitte Lawrence: When a customer comes to us, needs something produced, and we don't have everything at our fingertips, we can work together with others to help the customer. We can work together to accomplish it in the time- frame, money frame, and everything else to get it out to the assembler or our customer. Johnson: Is this a tactical or a strategic kind of relationship? Lawrence: Neither. It's a friendship. In this type of situation, we're not competing. We are working together underneath an umbrella to keep everything friendly and noncompetitive. We each have our own niche, we know where it's at, and we don't cross each other. Partnership and Collaboration